Straight Shooter
by GetLoki
Summary: Clint had met Natalia long before the order came from SHIELD to kill her. It ended in pain but it changed his life for the better and set him on the path to be a 'straight shooter.' - slight AU and using adaptations from the comics and movie.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: A different approach to Natasha and Clint's first meeting. It's slightly based around the comic book. Not really sure where this came from and I have no idea if I've done justice to their characters but I just had to write this. **

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><p>Clint Barton was nothing but professional. Get in, get the job done and get out. Simple. He never got sidetracked from the mission. It was one of the things that made him a great mercenary. Clint worked alone. Always. There no exception to that. It was one of his rules. Working with others lead to fuck ups. People can't be trusted. Clint would rather have no one watching his back instead of an incompetent idiot getting him killed. It didn't bother his employers. The less people hired the less money they had to cough up. That being said, Clint didn't come cheap. He was the whole package. There was pretty much nothing he couldn't do. It wasn't that he was immodest, just honest about his own abilities. If something was out of his league then he'd pass on the job.<p>

The sound of breaking glass made him glance up. A group of men were the cause of the breakage. And also Clint's latest job. A Russian gang that needed to be taken care of. They were encroaching on another's territory and that just didn't stand. The group that hired Clint had suffered a lot of causalities and were lacking the man power to just go in guns blazing. Clint hadn't really decided on how he was going to get the job done yet. For now he was just watching, looking for weaknesses and anything else that might come in handy.

Clint was in a bar that was the frequently visited by the members of Sharnov Nikolay Borisovich's vile men. Nikolay was a no show but Clint didn't expect the Boss to show. It was of a little consequence. It wouldn't be hard for him to follow one of these idiots back to their hideout. These men were all about making a scene but Clint was able to slip into the shadows. They'd never know they were being followed. But for now, that would have to wait.

There were four men seated which made Clint suspect they were of importance in the group. A few other men stood and watched quietly. They were nothing but bodyguards and would have little to no useful information. He wasn't concerned about getting caught watching them. Clint was across the other side of the room and mostly shielded from view by other patrons. This didn't affect his watching though. His eyesight was superior. Clint could easily see the features of the men and when they obstructed from his view then he'd use reflections to watch them.

The night passed by and the men got increasingly drunk. Clint waved away a waitress. He had a high alcohol tolerance but he'd been steadily drinking all night to ensure he fit in. There were quite a few things he'd discovered by now. The small ratty looking man that Clint had originally dismissed as non-threatening was without a doubt the Captain of these men. A bald man with a rough beard was recovering from an injury to his left leg and the black haired man had an appreciation for men.

Clint hadn't allowed anything to distract him through the night. The waitresses were clearly used to offering other services than just alcohol and one brunette woman seemed only too desperate to get Clint to accept her advances. It seemed the women wanted to avoid Nikolay's men as much as possible but without offending and appearing obvious. Sneaking out the back with another man would provide an excellent escape and some extra cash. Clint doubted any of the men associated with Nikolay paid for what they took.

The manager of the establishment was a grey haired man. The man wore glasses and his face looked like old leather. The manager was no doubt getting money from Nikolay as he kept directing the women over to Nikolay's men. The man seemed short tempered and Clint had watched him go red in the face from anger multiply times.

"Nadine, you're late again!" The manager shouted. Clint couldn't see the woman he was yelling at and let the threats from the manager drift away from his concious. It was no concern to him. But when he saw Nadine he felt his mouth go dry. Clint felt his focus on the loud idiots drip away and his blue eyes locked onto the woman. Nadine's red hair was a little longer than shoulder length with perfect curls. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, darker than Clint's. Nadine was slender but with curves that Clint would love to hold onto. Nadine was dressed similar to the other waitresses. A white shirt that was clearly made with the intention to be see through and black shorts that hardly covered anything. Unlike most of the other women, Nadine had forgone the tacky fishnet stockings. Also, unlike the other women Nadine hadn't smeared her beautiful face with layers of make-up. Other than her striking red lips and black eye liner to highlight her eyes. The other women had bright colours and looked nothing more than a child that got into their mother's make up. Clint was rarely so stunned by a woman.

The job momentarily forgotten, Clint watched Nadine follow after the manager in an abashed state, her thick coat slung over her arm. He was sure her long legs would be freezing with the harsh weather outside. A loud jeer made Clint snap back to reality and he focused back on Nikolay's men. They were beckoning Nadine over and the manager was only too happy to oblige. The leather faced man ripped the coat off Nadine and gestured for her to go see to the men. Clint had to hold back a glower. If Nadine made an advance on him, he'd find it hard to say no.

Nadine appeared polite and far too gentle to be working in such an environment. The ratty looking captain slung an arm around her petite waist and dragged her onto his lap. Clint felt his hand twitch, longing to reach for his bow and stick an arrow through the man's eye. It wouldn't be discrete at all but it'd feel good. Clint glanced down at his brief case that contained his quiver and bow. No, he couldn't blow his cover. If he even registers on the Mafia's radar then he'd pretty much fucked the job up. Clint wouldn't risk it just because Nadine was the most striking woman he'd ever seen.

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><p>The next time he saw Nadine was a week later. Only this time she was at Nikolay's hideout. Clint had followed Skuratov Isaak Denisovich, the ratty captain back here. It was of little challenge. Isaak was borderline drunk and never noticed Clint slipping along the rooftops and blending into shadows. The only real problem he had was finding a location where he could observe Nikolay without getting caught. The building was run down but was in a large lot with no close buildings. The best Clint could do was an apartment building full of lost souls that was at least a hundred metres away. The roof to the apartment was thankfully easy to get access to. Clint had to resort to a high tech listening device to make any benefit of the situation. He adjusted the ear pierce and fiddled with the receiver for a moment before the conversation burst into his ear. Clint focused a camera into the Nikolay's office. He didn't need the zoom lens to help see but he wanted hard evidence.<p>

Rather than assassinating all of them, which Clint knew was a high risk operation that would likely end in his torture and slow death he'd decided to get enough evidence of their wrong doings to get them locked up or executed. The police had raided them before but every time they came up clean. Clint wasn't entirely sure whether Nikolay had a great hiding place or corrupt police were aiding him. Possibly both. Corrupt cops could be an issue for his plan but Clint couldn't take out Nikolay and all his men out by himself.

Nikolay was of average height, not bulky in appearance but not slim either. He had greasy black hair that was slicked back and a pointed face. The office was little more than a large room with a bar, couches and a few tables. Nikolay was sitting on the longest couch with two girls fawning over him.

"Did you bring me the girl?" Nikolay asked, raising a brow in a threatening manner. Thankfully Clint was almost fluent in Russian and had no issue understanding the conversation.

"Of course Boss." Isaak nodded quickly, almost too quickly. "Well it's just that..."

"Just what?" Nikolay pushed the blonde girl off his lap and reached for a gun on the table with a casual air.

"I had some of my boys bring her earlier and they wanted a taste." Issak stammered.

"Your boys?" Another raise of a brow.

"Yours Boss, yours." The tiny statued man seemed to shrink even more. Clint was relatively amused despite the dark conversation. He was used to these things.

"I want a list of the names of the men who touched her. You'll all be reprimanded for the disrespect you've shown. You especially for allowing it to happen. Perhaps Captain doesn't suit you. Maybe a demotion to a low life bodyguard will do you some good Isaak?"

"No, please Sir. She is a temptress!" Isaak was grovelling. Clint was waiting for the man to slip onto the floor and literally start begging.

"I grow tired of your pitifully pleading. Go, bring the woman to me and then get out of my sight." Nikolay spat out. Isaak left quickly and Clint watched as Nikolay sent the two women away as well.

He was about to finish up his surveillance as he didn't really want to watch Nikolay torment and no doubt rape an innocent woman. He at least now knew what Nikolay looked like and had photos to go with it. It was possible he could use Isaak's fuck up to his advantage.

Clint really was going to go back to his safe house. But then Isaak returned with a familiar woman in tow. Nadine. Clint froze and dropped back into position to continue watching and listening.

"My my my, you truly are something to behold aren't you?" Nikolay asked with reverence. Isaak left without a word.

Nadine's eyes were huge and darting around. She looked terrified. Clint could see bruises on her wrists and thighs. Clint felt his blood boil. It shouldn't affect him, he was used to this shit. He'd seen girls and women in worst states.

"I don't believe you tempted my men. Look at you, you're no temptress. Just a scared little girl." Nikolay chuckled. "Come to me. I'll look after you."

"Please...I just want to go home." Nadine choked back a sob. Trying to be braver than what she was feeling. Clint had to hole back the urge to go Robin Hood mode and save her. He wouldn't fuck up the job for a woman. His reputation would be destroyed. It was the first time he had heard her speak and he wished it wasn't ruined by the desperation in her voice.

"You are home now. Now come here." Nikolay asked more forcefully this time.

Nadine moved towards him with trepidation. But as Clint watched her move he could see there was a gracefulness there too. She moved with meaning, no step was wasted, no movement was done without prior consideration. Clint stared at her face. She seemed generally terrified. Her eyes reminded him of a doe before he sunk an arrow through it's neck. Nadine was the prey in that room. Yet something still played on his mind that she moved like a predator.


	2. Chapter 2

Clint had avoided going back to Nikolay's hideout since the night he saw Nadine. Not because he loathed to watch her deteriorate in the hands of that vile man. At least that's what had told himself over and over. It didn't matter to him because she wasn't the job. Clint was methodical, merciless, a killer. One woman's life wouldn't jeproadise his own. What mattered was finishing the job, getting paid and moving onto something else. Preferably in a warmer climate. But if he did get this done quickly then maybe Nadine would be saved as well.

The sound of footsteps forced Clint back into focusing on what he was doing. He mentally berated himself for becoming distracted. Three police officers were inspecting an alley and Clint watched from his perch. The police were there on a tip off from himself. What he was hoping for was a male officer that matched his size. Clint was tall and well built. Years of training had given him an impressive amount of muscles. Especially in his arms. He ruled out two of the officers straight away. One was far shorter and rounder than himself. The other was too slim. The third officer was a better match in height and weight. Clint considered waiting and trying for a closer match but he didn't have time to fuck around. Not that this job really had a deadline but the quicker it was done the quicker he could leave Russia. And the quicker Nadine would be saved. Clint cursed his traitorous mind.

Clint reached for his bow and felt at peace with the familiar weight in his hands. He hadn't shot an arrow for almost two weeks and his hands were itching to let them fly free. He knew once he released the first arrow then he'd have to move quickly to take down the other two officers. If they called back-up it would make his job far harder. But it wasn't an issue. Clint was fast and accurate. The first two officers were down and dead before they'd even realised what was happening. Clint readied another arrow and took a deep breath before exhaling as he released the arrow. It hit it's target, straight through the eye socket of the officer that matched his size. Clint might have been a master at archery but sewing and getting blood out of clothes wasn't his strong suit. That was why he was here. He wanted the uniform of an officer. His plan was still forming but Clint liked to think on his feet.

It took him no time at all to abandon his perch on the roof and come to a stop to view his work. Clint stripped all of the officers of their clothing, pulled the arrows out and then used a gloved hand to shoot the police where the arrow wounds were. That done, he threw the bodies into a bin and covered them in gasoline. Clint didn't look back as he threw the match into the bin and walked off with his prize folded securely into his bag. He no qualms about killing. Once, he would have shied away from it but between the Swordsman and Trick Shot his ability to feel regret over these things was long lost.

The only thing that mattered was getting the job done.

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><p>Clint hadn't planned this. It was entirely a coincidence and he was thrown as to how to react. But as always he improvised and ignored the skip of his heart. Clint had donned the police uniform and found it fit well except around the arms and chest where it strained a little. It wasn't noticeable as he covered it with the thick coat he also stole from the officer. He was currently going by the name Ustimovich Luka Nikolayevich. Clint usually avoided taking on an alias as it carried risks. His Russian was good but it was possible someone who pick up on his accent. No matter how he practised he could never get down the perfect accent for another country. But as Luka, he could approach members of the gang. If he didn't take on an alias then Clint's job would be at risk. He couldn't speak to anyone without raising serious suspicion. Not that taking on the role of a cop didn't raise it, but not as much as.<p>

To take on the persona as Luka, he was walking down the street with confidence. He was portraying the role of a police officer and no one looked twice. Not even when he passed other officers. Now he had to find Issak alone. For now Issak was the weak link in the gang. With a demotion and probably a beheading hanging over Isaak's head he'd be more willing to give up secrets for the chance of security. He was caught up going over Isaak's usual movements that he missed her. Until they collided.

Nadine had stepped out of the warmth of a small cafe and into the biting wind. And straight into him. Clint, out of instinct grabbed her and had to hold back the reflex to throw her on the ground. His fighting reflexes under control, he released her and took a step back. It was only then that it clicked that woman who just quite literally knocked the breath out of him was Nadine. She might had been a good head shorter than him but she was definitely sturdy.

"Sorry Officer." Nadine murmured and tried to step around him. Clint should have let her go but instead he found himself moving to stop her leaving. "Is something wrong?" Nadine looked up at him curiously. If Clint hadn't of known she was the plaything of Nikolay then he'd never suspect it. She looked calm. The look of fear he saw on her face the other day was long gone.

"I didn't know Nikolay let his whores out." Clint stated callously, hoping his Russian was holding up.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nadine said smoothly. "Excuse me." The red haired woman tried to move past him again but Clint buffered her efforts once again.

"I have trouble believing that." Clint grabbed her upper arm. It wasn't a rough grip but he squeezed hard enough to let her know that she wasn't going anywhere.

"What do you want from me?" Nadine asked, a quiver in her voice and her blue eyes widened.

Clint was interested in the sudden change of attitude. Almost as if Nadine was playing a whole different role only seconds before. It was subtle enough most people wouldn't pick up on it. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he picked up on it. Maybe the girl just didn't want to admit to being Nikolay's property. It made sense. Except there was still something deep in Clint's mind that didn't agree. Been up this close to Nadine made him realise she was even more beautiful than he previously thought. "I want to help you." Clint finally settled on.

"You're hurting me." Nadine muttered and tried to pull her arm away. Clint released the grip.

"I apologise." Clint didn't miss the brief narrowing of her eyes. "Please come with where we can talk in private."

"If he finds out..." Nadine trailed off. It didn't need to be said. Clint knew what kind of man Nikolay was.

"I'll protect you." Clint reassured. It was probably a lie. If it came down to saving her live and completing the mission then she'd lose.

The walk to Clint's safe house was quiet. Nadine seemed hesitant and jumpy but he didn't blame her. Clint's biggest worry at the moment wasn't her, it was whether he remembered to put his arrows away after he was done fletching them. It probably wouldn't help his case if Nadine saw them.

His primary thought should have been what the fuck was he doing? This could be compromising the whole job. It was so unlikely that Nadine knew anything that he'd be better off asking any random off the street for information. He was going to get her killed just to satisfy some sort of curiosity and fascination he felt about her. It was too late now though. They'd arrived at his safe house and he ushered her inside.

"Sorry about the mess." Clint shrugged unapologetically.

"It is no problem." Nadine glanced around but Clint noticed her focusing on the exits more than anything. Smart, but maybe suspicious.

"Tell me what you know, help me and we can lock Nikolay and his men up for a long time." Clint said, cutting to the chase.

"We both know he won't stay locked up." Nadine raised a brow at him. Clint thought it seemed uncharacteristic of her. But then again he didn't know her. Clint also knew she was right but he also knew the group that hired him had men inside the prison. Including the guards. All he had to do was get them behind bars and the rest would be taken care of.

"Trust me. You will be safe." Clint tried to sound reassuring but it wasn't something he did often. If ever.

"Trust you?" Nadine asked, switching to English. "Foolish American." Her tone was flat and cold and everything about it screamed death.

Clint instantly went on guard. His bow and quiver were across the other side of the room. Clint pulled out his gun. The safety was off in an instant and Clint had no qualms about aiming the weapon straight at her head. "Who the fuck are you?" Clint reverted back to English and any form of reassuring and kindness were gone. Clint was sure she was Russian despite her excellent English. Her accent still came through but only in the barest of ways.

Nadine just looked at him with a bored expression. "You're going to get yourself killed. I'd prefer if you didn't get me involved with your stupidity."

Clint glowered at her. "Your English is extremely good. Are you a spy?"

"Yours is passable. Unlike your Russian." Nadine remarked coolly. "Helpful tip. If you're going to go undercover, make sure you know the language and accent."

"If Nikolay is your target too then maybe we can work something out?" Clint suggested but he still didn't lower the gun. Though the fact that she seemed to not even notice the gun made him nervous. Reacting to possible death was a normal human reaction but Nadine was just unimpressed. Though he doubted her name was truly Nadine.

"I work alone. I suggest you run back to your handler or employer with your tail between your legs and leave this to a professional." Nadine gave him a withering smirk.

Clint did not like being belittled by anyone. And the fact that is was by this tiny woman who up until a few minutes ago he thought was a victim just riled him up further. Without warning he attacked her. Clint wasn't ready for how fast she would be and as soon as he moved to hit her, he was blocked and his momentum used against him. Clint found himself stumbling past her. Nadine side stepped and allowed him to stumble before kicking him in the back. Clint grunted and fell forward. He used his arms to rebound himself back up off the floor and swept his leg out and around to try and knock the bitch down. Clint was feeling bitter that such a small woman had tricked him and then overpowered him. It was humiliating.

Nadine was an expert fighter and move with such fluid grace that it pissed Clint off even more. He finally touched her with a crack across her ribs. Nadine exhaled sharply in pain before composing a blank face again. It made Clint hesitate long enough for him to find himself with her thighs wrapped around his neck. Clint was taken back. Because really there were a lot worse ways to die. That probably shouldn't have been his focus as Nadine hurled him into the ground with nothing more than a twist of her body and her legs. The wind was knocked out of him but Clint didn't stay down long.

Nadine wasn't able to keep him pinned and Clint found his larger size aided in flipping her off his back. Clint was certain she didn't have a weapon on her otherwise he'd probably already be dead. She was clearly on a recon mission and had chosen to go unarmed. An unpleasant feeling settled in his stomach. Of course she'd be unarmed because Nikolay would strip her of her clothes.

Clint rolled away from her slightly and smashed his elbow into her face. He didn't feel guilty as he was pretty sure his neck was going to be bruised by her thighs. Again, not the worst thing. Nadine was knocked off kilter by the blow and Clint didn't hesitate to dig his knee into her back and restrain her arms behind her.

"Now let's try this again shall we?" Clint asked with a tone somewhere between teasing and frustration.

"Sure. Let me up first." Nadine replied easily.

Clint snorted. "How about we start with your real name?"

"Right away Ustimovich Luka Nikolayevich." Nadine retorted smugly. Clint was impressed. He'd kept the officer's badge but it was in his pocket when he ran into Nadine. Now he was beginning to suspect that the girl knew about his presence for a while. Today wasn't a coincidence.

"How long have you known?" Clint questioned, applying more pressure through his knee. Nadine didn't react at all.

"Took you long enough." Nadine goaded. "The first night you came to Ivan's. I picked you and your watching out straight away."

"The bar?" Things were starting to fall into place. "You purposely came late so Nikolay's men would notice you. You lead Isaak and his men on. Seduced them. In what, the hopes Nikolay would snap and kill them? Lessen your work load? Then play the terrified card with Nikolay. Make him an unsuspecting target. You're good."

"I know. Too bad I can't say the same about you _Luka._" Nadine had gone limp but Clint didn't doubt she was just waiting for an opportunity.

"But your plan failed. Nikolay didn't kill Isaak or any of the men. Help me get the evidence I need. Once they're locked up I can assure you they'll be taken care of." Clint wasn't sure why he was trying so hard to get her to go along with it. He never worked with others. It would be easier just to eliminate the threat here and now. Clint was sure Nadine would put a bullet through his head the minute he turned his back.

"Either kill me or let me up so I can kill you. I told you I work alone." Nadine didn't sound concerned at all that he would probably take the offer and kill her. It was the logical thing to do. It was the only thing that made sense. Clint thinks that's probably why she looked as confused as he felt when he stood up and allowed her up. The confusion was wiped quickly off her face though. It was back to a cold blank expression. Clint had never seen someone so expressionless.

There was no doubt in Clint's mind that she'd try to kill him but something stopped her. It was a flicker of recognition as her eyes glanced the room once more. Looking for a weapon probably. It was barely noticeable but Clint's eyes rarely missed a thing.

"And what's stopping you from putting a bullet in my head the minute we're done?" Nadine asked bluntly. Something had made her reconsider but Clint wasn't sure what it was.

"I could say the same for you." Clint eyed her warily. She seemed to have stood down but after getting sorely acquainted with her reaction speed Clint didn't trust her relaxed stance.

Nadine remained silent for a moment. She didn't take her eyes off him but appeared to be considering her choices. Or at least Clint assumed she was, she made no facial expression whatsoever. Maybe she was trying to unnerve him. "You can call me Black Widow."

Clint almost recoiled. Black Widow? He was so fucked.


	3. Chapter 3

The Black Widow appeared to be slightly amused. It was hard to tell but Clint was pretty sure that a dark amusement in her blue eyes. He considered rethinking the whole working together thing. The Black Widow was well known even to him. She was a cold blooded killer. An assassin. The Black Widow slept with men then took their lives. Where ever she went, a trail of bodies was always left behind. Children, Women, Men – it didn't matter. The Black Widow was ruthless. Clint didn't trust Nadine, but now that he knew who she really was he trusted her even less. But something peaked her interest so Clint felt his life was safe. For now.

"I take it you've heard of me." The Black Widow was definitely entertained by his discomfort.

"In passing." Clint said with a shrug, trying to regain some composure and dignity. "What made you change your mind?"

"It's not often I meet someone who can keep up with me. You might not be so useless after all."

"Bullshit." Clint snapped out. He wouldn't let the Widow manipulate him into what she wanted.

"I'm not the only one who has a reputation...Hawkeye."

"So I know your alias, you know mine. But the question is, why does who I am matter to you?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Call it curiosity."

"Am I one of your marks?" Clint growled out. He much preferred the sweet timid nature of 'Nadine.'

"No. You're not." The Widow shifted slightly and Clint instantly went into defence mode. She smirked.

"I'm not..." Clint muttered, staring at her in the hopes she'd give something away. "But someone else is and you need my skills."

"The American is not such a fool after all." The Widow said in Russian.

"I can understand you." Clint said irritably.

"Oh? Shocking." The Widow extended her hand out. "Romanova Natalia Alianovna."

Clint knew he should leave, or kill her, or refuse. Anything but accept that outstretched hand. This is what the Black Widow did. Manipulation, seduction and death. But as Clint looked into her eyes he found a darkness in there. Not one of a blood lust but one of a long tortured life. Clint considered her emotionless state and her flawless techniques. She didn't chose this life rather it was forced upon her and she saw no way out. Perhaps that was why she masked her pain so quickly, why she seemed unbothered by the fact he considered killing her. She wanted death. An escape. Or she wants him to think that his mind supplied warningly.

It seemed his body had made a decision for him. Clint reached out and took the offered hand to accept the shake. "Clint Barton."

"Don't you mean Clinton Francis Barton?" Natalia corrected.

"Never call me that." Clint glowered at her. She might withhold facial expressions but he had no issue making his anger known.

Natalia shrugged, not at all affected by his outburst. Clint is pretty sure a bomb could go off outside and she wouldn't even flinch. How the hell was this the same woman he had found breathtaking only two weeks ago? Though he couldn't lie, she was still stunning. Just a whole lot more deadly than he'd realise. Clint should have listened to his gut instinct about her earlier.

"What's your brilliant plan then?" Natalia asked condescendingly.

Clint scowled but filled her in nonetheless. Natalia remained silent through his talking and then seemed to be considering whether it was idiotic or not. Clint figured her extended silence was a good thing, she at least didn't decide straight away that it was a terrible plan. Over all it was sound plan. Mostly. Well, Clint was still just going with it. Natalia was a very unseen change to it. But he'd roll with it. Fuck, he wondered when he went insane.

"It will suffice." Natalia finally offered.

"Oh good." Clint said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I will return to my position at Nikolay's side and discover what he's hiding in the tunnel."

"Tunnel?" Clint asked with slight confusion.

"I've been on the job the same time as you and you seem to know nothing. I thought Hawkeye would be far more competent than this." Natalia said coolly.

"I like to take a different approach to my work." Clint snipped back.

"Like doing nothing?"

"Like not fucking my targets." Clint knew it was too far but he'd already said it. There was no way to take it back.

"The mission is what matters. Any means to achieve it is expected." Natalia said with a dead tone. It sounded rehearsed. Clint thinks she's been told things along those lines for a very long time. Her lack of tone quickly dissolved any bitterness he felt towards her cutting remarks.

"Everyone has a choice." Clint replied softly.

"No." Natalia was apparently done with the whole conversation and him after that. "I am returning to Nikolay's. Don't contact me. I will find you. In case you didn't pick it up, Isaak is a weak link. But give up the police uniform. It does nothing for you. Try threatening him."

And with that she was gone. Natalia wasn't interested in waiting for a reply. Clint let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He just survived an encounter with the Black Widow. For now at least. He probably shouldn't push her so much next time. It took him a moment to realise he still had no idea what the fuck the tunnel was or where it was located. Though it would make sense, every time the police raided Nikolay nothing was ever found. Through common sense Clint deduced the tunnel ran under the hideout. He wasn't sure if it connected to anywhere else but if it did it could give him a way in without running into any of the Mafia and get the evidence he needed.

But first he needed to find Isaak.

Clint took Natalia's advice and ditched the uniform. After all the effort he went to as well. He felt a twinge of guilt about the unnecessary deaths of the police officers but he swallowed it down. Clint had tried to do the good guy thing once. After he got away from his old life he wanted a change and was inspired by Iron Man. He stupidly thought he could change his life, become a fucking hero. It was a joke. Clint even tried to make a costume but all it ever resulted him in was been hunted by the police and accused as a thief. Clint left the states for a while and easily found himself slipping into the role of a mercenary for hire. He didn't have anyone running his life. Clint found all his jobs through a black market website.

Yet there was still guilt itching away from within side him. It was constant and Clint did everything he could to ignore it.

Isaak turned out easier to find than Clint was really expecting. The shamed Captain was drowning his sorrows and fears at Ivan's bar. Clint took the same seat as last time and watched the rat like man put away vodka one after another. Luck was on his side as none of Isaak's men were with him. Though Clint is sure that's because Nikolay would have removed the responsibility of being a Captain already. The more drunk Isaak got, the better for him. Getting information out of drunk person was far easier. Alcohol loosened the tongue nicely.

Eventually Isaak finally came to a stand. It took the man a few tries to actually maintain the balance needed to walk. Clint waited a moment before pulling his coat on and following Isaac out into the frigid night air.

Clint followed behind for a few blocks. As the people on the street began to thin, Clint closed the distance between himself and Isaak. An alley up ahead caught Clint's attention and he quickened his pace. Clint used his brute strength to grab Isaak by the arms and drag the surprised man into the alley. "Scream and I'll server your vocal cords." Clint threatened quietly.

Isaak nodded once in understanding and allowed himself to be pulled into a secluded area in the alley. "Nikolay send you?" Isaak asked in broken English. Clint realised his threat was in his native tongue and cursed himself. He really didn't do undercover well.

"No. But I'll make what Nikolay will do to you look like child's play." Clint warned softly. The Black Widow was right. A gentle threat and Isaak was falling to pieces. The man was quivering like a bowl of jelly. Clint was disgusted.

"Please what do you want?" Isaak reached for his pockets and Clint slammed the shorter man into the wall. "No...No gun. Money I have money."

"I'm not interested in your money. I want information."

"No...Nikolay will know...The things he will do..." Isaak stammered out, his small beady eyes were watering.

"Nikolay is the least of your concerns." To emphasise his point, Clint pulled out a small dagger and held it at Isaak's throat. "Don't think I mean to kill you with this. Do you know how many times a man can be cut before he dies?" Clint dragged the knife across Isaac's throat, the skin parted and blood flowed freely. "Do you know how deep I can cut you before you die?"

"No...no...Please. I tell you what you want." Isaac conceded. Clint was relieved. He actually had no idea what the answers were, but he was sure he could ask the Black Widow. She'd only be too happy to tell him. Or demonstrate on him. Clint decided he'd live blissfully in ignorance to those questions.

"Where does the tunnel connect to?" Clint demanded, lowering the knife away from Isaak's throat and cleaning it.

There was a deep look of fear in Isaak's eyes. It seemed Isaak really didn't want to answer that question. Clint pointed the dagger back towards Isaak and raised his brow.

"It goes to Baba's Cafe!" Isaak squeaked. Clint frowned. He was sure he'd seen that name somewhere. Of course, the cafe Natalia was leaving yesterday. She could of made this a lot easier for him and just told him. Clint is certain that she's testing him though. If he doesn't meet her standards then he'll be just another man killed by the Widow. Clint found himself intruiged by the challenge. But he's sure Natalia knew that.

"What is Nikolay hiding in the tunnels?"

"You get nothing more from me!" Isaak reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. Clint was moving to knock the weapon from Issak's hand but the man pointed it on himself and pulled the trigger. Clint grimaced as the bullet pierced the man's throat and he was sprayed with thick blood. This was not how he wanted his night to end. Clint wiped the blood away with his sleeve and tried to flick it off. At least he had more information than earlier but still, Natalia could have just _told _him.

"Don't look so bitter Barton." Natalia called out from the darkness. Clint swore and spun around. He didn't even notice her trailing him.

"Is this where you kill me?" Clint asked, crossing his arms and appearing casual.

"Not today." Natalia turned to leave the alley before looking back over her shoulder. "Nikolay is throwing a party tomorrow. The tunnel will be guarded lightly."

Clint watched her leave, well he watched a certain part of her behind leave. He's pretty sure Natalia was well aware of his appreciative staring. A strange feeling arose inside him. There was something about Natalia's approval that pleased him. He knew she was playing him but he was starting to not care.

* * *

><p>There was light rain falling but Clint paid it no attention. He'd spent the last thirty minutes checking out the cafe. There was no one guarding it, no security cameras or alarms. It was pathetically easy to break into. Clint went around the back after scaling a chain chest with ease. He pulled out his lock pick kit and within minutes he was slipping inside. The door latched quietly behind him. Clint stood still for a moment, ensuring no one was hiding in the dark or an alarm wasn't going to start blaring at him. Everything was silent and still. Clint turned on his torch and flashed it around. He was in the kitchen but nothing stood out. It took him less than three minutes to locate the entrance to the tunnel. It was down in the basement and heavily locked. But it still proved no issue for Clint to break the locks.<p>

The tunnel was dark and Clint didn't want to risk using his torch in case it gave away his position. Clint held his bow loosely in one hand and used the other one to navigate his way along the tunnel. He tried not to think too much on why the walls were wet. The answer would be undesirable no doubt.

Eventually he came to an intersection. Clint paused briefly before pulling out his torch. As much as he loathed to give away his presence he didn't want to waste the whole night wandering the tunnels lost. He could picture Natalia's dry response and unimpressed face over his failure. Clint scowled at himself. It wasn't wise to focus on her so much. Or at all.

The light showed the left turn was a dead end. Clint flicked the torch straight ahead and then to the right both appeared to continue on and Clint was left with a decision to make. He tried to map where Nikolay's hideout was and the location of the cafe and the direction of the tunnel. In hindsight he should have done that before. Clint is certain it's the right turn so he heads off in that direction. He keeps the torch on but points it at the ground to try and lessen the brightness. If he was right then it should be roughly a twenty minute walk from the cafe to the hideout.

Clint felt a moment of success as the tunnel began to get brighter. Old lights swung from the ceiling and he cut his torch and shoved it into his kit bag. He walked softly so he didn't alert and guards of his presence. Preferably he wanted to get in and out without being spotted. Nikolay might move the whole operation if he thought his hiding place blown. He was certain Natalia wouldn't take kindly to that.

The tunnels were completely empty and Clint grinned as he moved around freely. He knew better than to get cocky but this proving far easier than anticipated. Though he supposed he had Natalia's backwards help to thank for that.

Clint was reassured that he was in the right place as the sound of music reached his ears. It was thumping through the floors and it irritated Clint's ears. He sent a glare upwards as if it would make a difference. Clint was growing more frustrated, each room located in the tunnel was proving to be a disappointment. Though one room looked very much like a torture room. Clint was hoping he wouldn't find himself back in there at any point.

A smug grin fell onto place on Clint. Jackpot. A weapons room. A very serious weapons room. There was everything from shot guns to machine guns. Kevlar vests were hanging up along with other protective gear. It clicked that this was all police issued gear and evidence. Clint frowned deeply. How the fuck was Nikolay getting a hold of this?

Clint pulled out his camera and set about getting shots of everything in the room. Once he was satisfied he had enough photos he silently left the room and continued on. He stumbled across another room filled with drugs. Clint snapped photos of the bags of pills and power. A low whistle sounded from his throat when he spotted the stacks of cash.

The evidence he found was substantial but he needed to find out the source of the police gear. Clint grinned to himself. He had an idea but Natalia wasn't going to like it.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm not sure whether to keep going with this, I'm enjoying writing it but it doesn't seem to be generating a lot of interest.**

**But ****I'd like to thank the people who have followed this as it gives me a bit of hope!**

* * *

><p>Clint returned to the safe house to drop his kit bag off. Rather than taking the bulky camera he was using earlier he swapped it for a smaller one that was built into his sun glasses. He wasn't concerned about looking like a douche wearing sun glasses at night. If anything it would help him fit in. Clint glanced at his reflection before nodding in satisfaction. He wore ripped jeans that loosely clung to his hips with a baggy hoody. It was thick enough that it would keep the cold at bay. Clint had weapons concealed but unfortunately he'd have to leave his bow at the safe house. He gave it a look of longing before setting off.<p>

The party was still in full swing when Clint arrived and no one looked at him twice as he entered the lot. The bodyguards seemed as drunk and high as the people partying. The women dressed scantily despite the cold helped distract the guards as well. He mingled enough to not stand out but not enough for anyone to remember him. What he really needed was to get inside. There were two larger than necessary guards at the door and they looked stone cold sober. Nikolay and the other important people would be inside. He doubted he could just stroll up to the door and flash a smile at them. He needed a distraction.

Clint took a moment to study the groups of people before deciding on a course of action. Three women were standing close together laughing and talking. There were two men standing on one side of them but with their backs turned. Further away but watching occasionally was a larger group. Clint wasn't sure what the connection was but he knew the larger group had a high interest in the women. A possible relationship somewhere.

He made a start for the two men. Clint weaved and dodged his way through the crowd. Never touching anyone or drawing any attention. As he past the two men standing close behind the women Clint stumbled and his sun glasses fell off his head at their feet. He made an attempt to pick them up but staggered and missed altogether. Clint squinted in concentration and tried again. Another failed attempt and he stood up with a lurch.

Both men moved to help him out. Clint waited until one of them was bent down before stumbling again. His hip slamming into the bent over man and knocking him backwards. Clint swiped his glasses up and slipped away before anyone really noticed his interference. The man he knocked fell into the women and drinks were split. They screeched their displeasure and the larger group of men came over to see what had happened. Clint heard the dull thud of a fist hitting flesh. He smirked.

There was enough commotion that the two bull like men moved away from the door in case they need to quite literally through someone out. Clint sneaked past them and inside with a satisfied grin.

Clint went to the bar without looking around. He was a higher risk of standing out in here so he'd have to be careful. He remained at the bar for a while. Clint needed an opportunity to move around the floor. That opportunity finally came from a young woman who caught his gaze. She gave him a flirty smile and Clint returned it. He ordered her a drink and another for himself and walked over to her with confidence. She was pretty enough with long blonde hair and striking green eyes but he didn't think he'd ever be attracted to another woman again after Natalia.

"You are beautiful." Clint said with put on admiration. This time he remembered to switch Russian. She smiled up at him pleased.

"My name is Eleonora." Eleonora accepted the drink from Clint with another smile.

"Luka. Why are you all alone?" Clint queried, looking around as if he was looking for the people she was with. But really he was just scoping the area. Clint finally spotted Nikolay. The man was seated on a raised section. It was closed off with rope and heavily guarded. Natalia was there, sitting demurely by Nikolay's side. Under the guise of Nadine she still looked nervous and out of her element. Nikolay was paying special attention to her. Clint couldn't believe that was the Black Widow. He shook his head slightly and looked back to Eleonora.

"My friend met someone." Eleonora sighed with annoyance.

"Would you mind if I kept you company until she came back?" Clint smiled.

"Of course not! You're not with anyone?"

"No, they left. But I do not mind when it has given me the chance to meet you."

It wasn't long before Natalia spotted him and he had to hold back a chuckle. The look in her eyes would be enough to make grown men weep. To him it was just entertaining. He was beginning to enjoy getting on her nerves. It would probably result in his death or at least him getting maimed but there was little she could do at the moment without blowing cover.

Clint took a few photos of Nikolay's table and the rest of the room but nothing was really standing out to him. He spent his time with Eleonora and supplying drinks to the young girl. In all honesty Clint was zoning out most of the time and had no idea what she was saying. A smile and a nod seemed to be enough for her.

Clint glanced back over to Nikolay's table to find the man gone. He swore internally and Natalia lifted an eyebrow at him. She was left with a few of Nikolay's men. The men were more focused on the other women than her and Natalia jerked her head slightly to the left. Clint followed the action and spotted a hallway. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement. Clint was sure Natalia would much rather be the one going down that hallway but if she tried to leave she'd be stopped by Nikolay's men.

"I apologise, I need to go to the bathroom." Clint cut off Eleonora mid sentence but she seemed that drunk it didn't even register. Clint passed her his drink and left without waiting for a response. He could feel Natalia's deep blue eyes following him and he liked the feeling. He'd caught the Widow's attention and it was exhilarating.

Clint focused back onto the task at hand but not before wiggling his behind before he went into the hallway. He could practically see the roll of Natalia's eyes.

The hallway was mostly empty except a couple making out against the wall. Clint spotted the entry for a toilet and filed away the information for a cover story if he got discovered. Clint tried to ensure a drunk air around him as he wandered down the hall. Soft voices reached his ears and Clint slowed down his walk, trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible. The voices were coming from behind a close steel door. Clint clucked his tongue in annoyance. There was no way he could just press his ear against it and hope for the best, he was out in the open.

A room next to the closed steel door caught his attention. Clint slipped inside and swept the room with his eyes. It was a security room, computer screens were set up and Clint was able to various rooms. He wondered why no one noticed his presence earlier but it looked like there were no cameras down in the tunnel. It made sense he supposed, if the place was raided and the footage checked then the tunnels would be found. The sound of jingling keys and footsteps hit his ears. Clint realised the guard must have stepped out for a moment. He looked around for a hiding place and spotted an air vent. Perfect. He'd just put the vent back in black as the guard re-entered the room and closed the door. Clint crawled along the air duct before finding himself directly above the room Nikolay was in.

Clint moved as close to the vent as he dared.

"I will be shipping the packages to you in two days. Can you handle that?" A male asked with little patience. Clint thought he sounded older than Nikolay.

"Don't doubt me. I've never fucked up." Nikolay growled out.

"Yet you keep getting raided." The man responded smoothly.

Clint figured the package was more weapons, gear and drugs from the police. What he needed to know was who the mystery man was. Clint pulled himself up to the vent and held his glasses in place as he peered down into the room. He scowled with frustration. Clint couldn't see either of the men.

Rather than just hanging around in the duct waiting for something else to happen Clint moved himself forward. He hated enclosed spaces and the less time he spent in here the better. After a wrong turn and almost getting stuck he finally found the vent leading to the toilets. Clint knocked the vent out and jumped down, landing in a crouch. He placed the vent back in place and left the bathroom casually.

The idea to just burst into the room pretending to look for a toilet crossed his mind but Clint didn't want to risk the possible questioning or Nikolay and the mysterious man to know his face. Another idea came to mind and he returned back to the main room. Eleonora was leaning against the wall right where Clint left her. As soon as she spotted him she tried to stand up and wave enthusiastically.

"Sorry I took so long."

"Oh it's fine!" Eleonora brushed off the apology. It seemed while he was gone she'd finished both her drink and his.

"Do you...want to come for a walk with me?" Clint looked towards the hallway.

Eleonora nodded far too quickly and lost her balance. Clint steadied her with an arm around her waist and helped her towards the hallway. The feeling of daggers in his back made him look over towards where Natalia was still sitting. Clint just sent a shit eating grin her way and kept walking.

Once they were in the hallway Clint directed Eleonora past the bathrooms and close to where the steel door was. Clint didn't need to lead her any more, she pushed her towards his and captured his lips. Clint returned the sloppy kiss trying to remember it was for the job. He didn't know how Natalia used her body so easily. This was bad enough. They remained lip locked but Clint firmly kept his mouth shut. He wasn't interested in her tongue down his throat. Clint had her pushed against the wall but at the sound of the steel door opening he changed angles. He grabbed her upper thighs and picked her up. Clint kissed down her neck allowing his head to turn towards the door. His sunglasses were still firmly in place and under the guise of fixing them he pressed down on the hidden button to take photos of the mystery man.

Clint was right about him been older than Nikolay. The man would have been in his sixties at least. Balding and rounded in the middle. He was dressed in an impeccable suit where as Nikolay was dressed casually. The two men looked around the hallway and Clint moved his lips back to Eleonora's mouth.

They moved up the hallway to what Clint assumed was a back exit. There was no need for him to stick around any longer so he broke the kiss and released the hold on Eleonroa. She looked confused. Clint muttered a sorry and left. Natalia's eyes locked onto him the second he walked back into the main room. Nikolay's men were advancing on her and she was keeping up the timid persona. He nodded once in her direction and kept going. But what he really wanted to do was stride up to her and pull her away from those sleazy vile men.

Clint held back a scowl. He was too focused on her. She was deadly, she was manipulative. Clint was being manipulated into what she wanted. He's certain of it but yet as looked back towards her one more time, she seemed almost disappointed that he was leaving.

* * *

><p>Clint placed his glasses with the camera. He'd get the photos off the devices later. He felt like he had saliva covering his face. Clint grimaced and headed into the bathroom for a shower. The hot water helped warm his cold limbs up as well. He was in no hurry to get out and amused himself by humming out a tune. Clint hadn't brought spare clothes into the bathroom so he secured a towel around his waist and after rubbing his hair dry pushed open the door back into the main room. Clint hid his surprise at his guest.<p>

"How did you get in?" Clint's safe house had extremely good locks.

"Oh please." Natalia scoffed.

"Those locks are unbreakable." Clint knew because he'd tried and even he couldn't get past them.

"And yet here I am." Natalia slipped off the table with one fluid movement. As she moved into the light he noticed the bruises and bristled.

"I guess the better question would be _why _are you here?" Clint crossed his arms, he wanted to keep himself closed off.

"I told you I'd contact you. Imagine my surprise when your stupid ass comes wandering into Nikolay's."

"Hey, I saw an opportunity and I took it." Clint defended.

"The opportunity was the tunnel not the party." Natalia took a step forward. Clint remained rooted where he was.

"The one where you were stuck sitting on a chair like a good little girl?" Clint returned with, pleased with the glare from Natalia. She then turned her head slightly in a sign of annoyance. "I have enough to get them all locked away. I'll print the photos and drop them off at a station tomorrow."

"Don't you think it would be a good idea to find out who Nikolay's supplier is?" Natalia turned her head back to him. Clint felt the question wasn't a polite suggestion. Rather she was implying he was an idiot for not doing it already.

"I'm sure you're about to tell me why it's a good idea with your wonderful wit." Clint griped at her. He caught the slightest upturn of her lips but it was only for a second. Anyone without his sharp eyes would have missed it.

"Because Baranovsky Yakov Stanislavovich is the head of the detective department in Chelyabinsk." Natalia replied flatly. "Maybe if you spent less time sucking face and more time doing your job you'd know that."

"And there it is." Clint then did a double take. "What? Fuck."

"If you drop off the photos it'll land on his desk. It'll be destroyed and the items moved."

"You were stuck on a couch all night. How did you find this out?" Clint asked irritably. His night was spent in an air vent and as Natalia so eloquently put it – sucking face. He's certain kissing a washing machine would have been dryer.

"I have my ways." Natalia's tone of voice suggested that wasn't up for discussion. "I'm going to take a shower. Try and think up another plan perhaps?" She quirked an eyebrow at him before striding past and into the bathroom.

"Sure, make yourself at home." Clint muttered to himself.

Despite knowing he couldn't drop off the evidence now, Clint still printed out the photos. Natalia had been in the shower for at least thirty minutes and he was beginning to wonder if she'd left out the window and was wasting his hot water just to be spiteful. Just after he had that thought the running water stopped. So the Widow was still in his bathroom. Naked. Clint swallowed and tried to focus back on printing off photos and making plans.

Clint looked up at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Natalia had helped herself to his bathrobe. The starch white robe showed him just how red her skin was. He doubted she used any cold water in the shower. The bruises were still visible and he could them around her wrists, neck and lower legs. He remembered her thighs at Nikolay's. He'd hate to see them now. Clint briefly looked into her eyes. She looked raw. Kissing a washing machine and being stuck in an air duct no longer seemed bad in comparison to what she would have gone through tonight.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Clint offered. He wasn't sure why. He knew she wouldn't and it would make things awkward or earn him a knife through his neck.

"No." Natalia replied icily. Her eyes were dark and Clint knew he was walking on thin ice.

"Should we just put an arrow through Yakov then?" Clint asked, changing subjects before he discovered just how short Natalia's temper was.

"An arrow isn't exactly discrete Barton." Natalia rolled her eyes.

"I don't think gun fire is much more discrete Romanova." Clint grinned at her annoyance. Mostly he was just assuming she was annoyed. The skin wrinkled slightly around her eyes but it was nearly impossible to tell.

"I was thinking of something more along the lines of Nikolay killing Yakov." Natalia took a seat on the couch. Her ability to look like she belonged anywhere was astounding. But Clint felt she didn't just spend the last thirty minutes under hot water, most likely trying to scrub the feeling of men off her without being affected.

"And how do we do that?"

"We? You can stay out of it for a start. I don't need your help."Natalia said coldly.

"You're breaking my heart Nat." Clint placed his hand over his heart. Natalia glared at him for the nick name.

"Don't get familiar with me Barton."

"Then why are you here?" Clint asked coolly.

"I told you already." Natalia muttered defencelessly. It was the close thing to a human emotion he'd seen from her.

"No you didn't. You insulted me, told me you don't apparently want my help and stole my bathrobe." Clint crossed his arms.

"Forget it." Natalia stood up swiftly. Clint intercepted her before she reached the bathroom.

"No. Either you want my help or you don't. This is my job too so I'm not going to sit on the sidelines. If you want my assistance on your mark then you'll work _together _with me on this or I'm done." Clint said darkly. Natalia might fascinate him but he wasn't going to be a doormat to her.

"Fine." Natalia stepped around him and headed to the bathroom to get dressed then leave.

Clint let her go. It was better this way. Working with the Black Widow was stupid. He wasn't going to break his number one rule to always work alone because she tried to manipulate him. But as he sat alone in the safe house he couldn't help but think Natalia was here not for the job but seeking some sort of semblance of comfort and safety. He wouldn't feel guilty for her fleeing though. It's not his problem that she had stunted emotions and an attitude that would make the Arctic feel warm.


	5. Chapter 5

Clint was going to finish this job one way or another today. He wanted out of Russia and as far away from Natalia as possible. He hadn't seen her since she showed up in his safe house. It'd only been two days since then but Clint was feeling an endless frustration. If he made any kind of move then he could be putting her at risk. But it shouldn't matter. Clint shouldn't care. Get the job done and get out. But she could have plan in place and he'd tear it down by whatever action he chose. Clint fired an arrow into the wall to try and release some pent up anger. No, he was done. Natalia didn't matter.

Today at some point Yakov would deliver the stolen police gear and Clint would be there to kill him. With Yakov out of the way then he could drop off the photos and the police would take care of the rest. He didn't know the time for the drop so Clint was readying to leave his safe house before the sun even rose.

The sun was just starting to come up as Clint set himself up for a long day of surveillance on the rooftop of the apartment. There was snow falling and Clint was sure he'd lose a few appendages to frost bite. Fuck he hated it here. There was no sign of activity and Clint was beginning to dread the drop off would be done using the tunnel system and he was in the wrong place. There was little point heading to the cafe now though. He'd just have to watch and hope.

Finally after laying in almost the same position for over five hours two cars followed by a delivery truck arrived. Clint readied his listening device and watched as Nikolay exited the building. Yakov greeted him cordially.

"I hope you've taken care of the slut?" Yakov questioned.

"You can be assured I'm dealing with her. Slowly." Nikolay smirked cruelly. Clint felt his blood run cold.

"Just kill her! She's one of the best agents the KGB has. If you toy with her she'll escape. Take care of the problem or we're done." Yakov snapped harshly.

Clint didn't stick around to hear the rest. He didn't know if he had time to reach the entrance to the tunnel at the cafe but he had to try. Going straight through the front entrance would be suicidal. A flash of the room he stumbled across in the tunnels came into his mind. Natalia would be in there and by the sounds of Nikolay's assurances, she was being tortured.

The sound of blood rushing in his ears beat with the sound of his feet hitting the ground as he ran. It was taking too long. She'd be dead before he could get there.

Before long Clint reached the back entrance of the cafe. He cleared the fence in seconds and kicked in the lock. There was no time to fiddle with it. The lock on the tunnel entrance wouldn't budge when he kicked it so he had to waste precious minutes picking it. Finally it clicked opened and Clint jumped down into the tunnel, bypassing the ladder altogether.

To walk the tunnels it would take him at least twenty minutes. Natalia didn't have that much time. Clint switched on the torch and began running again. His footsteps echoed throughout the tunnel but he kept going until he reached the first dim light bulbs. He didn't want to think how long it took him, it could be too late but he still had to try. Clint turned off his torch and forced himself to walk slowly.

The sound of gun shot rung through the tunnels and Clint froze. He was too slow and Natalia paid the price. Clint felt a wave of sickness grab at him. It was irrational to feel this way. He wasn't close to her, she was nothing to him. Yet the fact that she was gone didn't sit well with him. Clint readied his bow and continued on. He'd avenge her at least. Clint ignored the logical side of him that was telling him to get the fuck out of there before he ended up the same way.

Clint peered around a corner and spotted two guards at the door into the torture room. With practised ease he readied an arrow before stepping around the corner at the same time he released the arrow. The arrow pierced the first guards neck. He stepped back around the corner to avoid the gunfire from the second guard. Clint dropped down and then rolled out into the tunnel to avoid being shot then fired another fire. The second guard went down and Clint jumped up and ran for the door.

It swung open and Clint had an arrow loaded in his bow ready to go. He was expecting to see Natalia's lifeless body. Instead he was greeted with a red raised eye brow. Yakov was dead on the ground.

"Well don't just stand there Barton. There'll be backup any minute now since you can't take out two guards without alerting the whole god damn building." Natalia snarked at him. She looked beat up, blood was covering her but she was very much alive and bitchy as ever.

"I thought you were dead." Clint breathed out. The adrenaline rush wearing off. He lowered his bow and slung it over his broad shoulder and moved to help removed the cuffs off Natalia.

"I told you, I wanted Nikolay to kill Yakov." Natalia looked at him as if he were stupid. It was a fair call, he was feeling that way right now.

"He could have killed you."

"Nikolay? He wouldn't have killed me for weeks."

"Yakov ordered it. I don't think he was happy about the whole KGB thing." Clint was still reeling. This was all becoming too much. This is why the working with other people thing didn't work.

"Who do you think tipped off Yakov that I was KGB?" Natalia asked with a hint of amusement.

"You set this whole thing up..." Clint was starting to understand now. But the torture Natalia had gone through was very much real. The level she went to to ensure the job was done was far more than he'd seen before. "But, how did you get Nikolay to kill Yakov?"

"Simple really. I offered Nikolay protection, ensured him I have evidence to put Yakov away for life. Yakov moved to shoot me. Nikolay shot him first. It wasn't hard to tell Yakov wouldn't have stopped with me."

"But now he's going to come back down here with back up and try to kill us both." Clint freed her from the first cuff and moved to her other hand. "Kinda fucked that up. Sorry."

"I was counting on it." Natalia replied factually. She sat up as Clint removed the second cuff. "Cover the door, I'll get these."

"What's your plan here Nat...alia." Clint caught himself before using the nickname again. He pointed his bow at the door.

"I put a tracker in your quiver. Sent the tracking information along with all your photos to the police HQ but with a time delay on it. The post office only delivered it today. I knew Yakov wouldn't be at the office at the time. If I'm right, which I always am. The police are on their way. We just need to get out of here before they arrive. Think you can manage that Barton?"

"So basically what you're saying is that I'm just here to break you out and provide a location." Clint turned back to look at her with a flat face. Natalia stood up with a slight stagger.

"Not at all." Natalia paused as she swept the room with her eyes. "I could have freed myself."

"Then why didn't you?" Clint griped at her.

"Had to make you feel useful somehow. Got a spare weapon?" Natalia grabbed the gun that he threw at her. He'd taken both the guards guns in case he needed the extra weapons later.

"How grateful I am." Clint retorted. He briefly saw a sliver of a smile on her porcelain like face.

The sound of yelling made them both glance back at the door. Their bantering died and both fell into a fighting stance. The moment the door opened Clint released an arrow and Natalia fired a bullet. The man dropped instantly.

"Come on, this way." Natalia lead him through a side door. It lead into a narrow tunnel. Clint could hear more of Nikolay's men coming and they quickened their pace. Natalia might have expert firing and fighting skills but it seemed she preferred the role of spy not solider. Natalia lead him through another door. They entered a larger room, full of crates. Clint glanced around for an exit but found nothing. He wondered if Natalia was leading him into a trap. It wouldn't really surprise him.

Yet he still followed her further into the room.

The door slammed open behind them and they both rolled out of the way of the incoming gun fire. They crouched behind one of the crates. Clint could hear more people entering the room. He estimated at least five.

"Don't hide from me you little whore." Nikolay shouted out.

Clint loaded his bow. Natalia pointed to herself and then left. Clint nodded in understanding and move away from her and to the right side of the crate. Natalia rolled again and drew the gun fire towards herself. She fired her gun back at them as she ducked behind another crate. Clint moved at the same time but he went unnoticed due to Natalia's distraction. Clint rounded the corner of another crate and released his arrow. It met it's mark and one of the men went down. As they directed their attention to him, Natalia stood up and took out another man.

"Idiots, split up!" Nikolay raged.

A hail of bullets were sprayed towards both his and Natalia's position. Clint took cover behind a crate but the wood was weak and a bullet narrowly missed his head. He moved further back into the room and caught sight of Natalia.

She signalled at him to keep moving back. More men were arriving and against that much gun fire, one gun and one bow wouldn't do much good. They continued their whack-a-mole routine where Clint would fire, duck then Natalia would fire and duck. The men were catching on so to throw them off Clint released one arrow and then a second instead of ducking. He didn't know whether Natalia had watched what he was doing but she'd figured it out and stayed hidden.

A commotion from above drew the men's attention. "Fuck it's the police!" Nikolay screamed in anger. "Go, hold them off!"

Clint and Natalia stood at the same time, their weapons raised and aimed at Nikolay.

"You're outnumbered, drop the gun Nikolay." Clint ordered.

"Not before I kill her." Nikolay jutted his gun in Natalia's direction. "That bitch is responsible for ruining my whole operation!"

"It's hardly my fault you fell for my act." Natalia responded coolly. Clint shifted and caused Nikolay to redirect the gun slight towards him. Clint held back a frown when she didn't make the shot. He didn't get what she was waiting for. Unless she had no more ammo left.

"Lower your weapons or I'll put a bullet in her head!" Nikolay screamed, spittle flying.

"You're going to kill me either way." Natalia said with a shrug but complied and started lowering her weapon. Nikolay grinned manically. "To be honest I'll be glad to be dead. The way you fuck ruined any appeal sex had for me. Is it even medically possible for it to be that small or did you have an accident?"

"You bitch!" Nikolay wailed. The man was shaking with anger and as Natalia continue to goad him he reacted with more pronounced movements. The gun was aimed at her shoulder now and Clint didn't hesitate to release his arrow. Nikolay fired his gun only a second later, just before the arrow struck his heart. Natalia moved to the side but the bullet still pierced her arm.

"Let's get out of here before the cops find us." Natalia clutched her arm to stem the flow of blood and lead him to the back of the room. "Move that crate."

Clint complied without making a fuss. Under the crate was a trap door. Clint went down first and offered help to the injured woman. The glare she gave him suggested for him not do that again.

Natalia lead the way and Clint followed her silently. After the initial gun shot he'd thought her dead, instead he was walking out of here with her. Job done and both of them alive. Natalia was a little worse for wear but he had a feeling to her, this was nothing. He felt he should be more pissed off about her setting him up, making him believe she was going to die. Though he supposed he should have known better, the Black Widow was a force to be reckoned with.

Rather than heading back to the entrance at the cafe, Natalia took them a different route that ended in the sewers. Clint wrinkled his nose in disgust. He hated enclosed spaces enough without the added smell. He'd take a rooftop any day.

They finally exited the sewers and come out in an alley. Clint breathed a sigh of relief at the fresh air.

"When did you find the time to map all of these tunnels?" Clint asked with interest.

"We've both been on this job for near three weeks Barton." Natalia shook her head. Clint was captivated by her curls. "I really do have to wonder what the hell you were doing."

"You know, you don't look that much younger than I am. How do you get to this level? You're what, twenty?" Clint pushed, ignoring the jab at his incompetency. Her age had been bothering him for a while now. He was twenty one and had years of training but Natalia seemed to best him in every way.

"I started young."

"So did I. Answer the question Natalia." Clint pushed.

"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me." Natalia ended the conversation there. Not that he didn't try to get the answer, she just refused to reply.

"Where are you going after this?"Clint asked after a lengthy silence.

"We should lay low for a couple of days. Your safe house is good place as any." Natalia made a sharp left.

"I don't remember giving you an invite." Clint still didn't trust her not to kill him the moment he was asleep or his back turned.

"Relax Barton, I'm not going to kill you. After all I still need you." Natalia's tone didn't seem reassuring at all.

"Well gee, that fills me with confidence."

It took them nearly an hour to reach his safe house and he could tell Natalia was struggling. She had become sluggish and Clint was concerned she would collapse. As soon as the door was unlocked Natalia pushed past him and sunk onto the couch. In the light he could see how pale she was. Her skin was always fair but this was a sickly pale. He didn't know the extent of her injuries or blood loss. It could be a whole lot worse than what she let on. Clint headed straight for the bathroom to get his medical kit and clean towels.

"Just leave it next to me. I can take care of it." Natalia said quietly. Her voice was slightly shaky but he could tell she was trying to mask it.

"Shut up Natalia." Clint snapped. She raised a brow at him but let it slide. Clint is sure he'll pay for it later when she was back to full strength.

Clint took care of the bullet wound on her arm first. The bullet went straight through which was far preferable but he knew personally how much of a bitch bullet wounds were. Clint finished cleaning out the wound and wrapping it up. This is where it was going to get difficult. He knew she had more injuries but he didn't know whether she'd show him or not. She seemed to pick up on his uncertainty and sat forward. Clint tried not to stare at her breasts as she removed her shirt. Clint was impressed at his self control. Clint could see older scars littering her body from a bullet wound near her hip to long thin scars that looked like knife wounds.

The fresh injuries weren't as bad as was expecting but she had a decent amount of cuts that needed disinfecting and a few needed stitches. There was little he could for the bruises but hope there wasn't any internal bleeding.

By the time he was finished his towels were red with blood along with his hands. Natalia looked exhausted but too weary and distrustful of him to actually sleep. He didn't really blame her because he felt the same.

"I'll get you a shirt." Clint stood up and took the bloody towels and medical kit back to the bathroom. He returned with a shirt that was far too large on her. "You can take the bed."

"It's fine. I'll stay out here."

"You're injured. I'm not." Clint argued.

"I'm not some damsel that needs saving _Hawkeye._" Natalia snapped back at him.

"It's a bed not some fairy tale bullshit." Clint snarled at her.

"I don't need your help." Natalia clenched her jaw in irritation.

"Just take the bed Natasha!" Clint didn't realise his mistake at first.

"What did you just call me?" Natalia asked softly. Dangerously.

"Sorry, no familiarity. I get it." Clint held up his hands in surrender. It was definitely too far. Only very close friends and family would ever use the nick name Natasha. Clint had a feeling she never had any and if she did it was a long time ago.

"I have not been called that in a long time." Natalia seemed caught up in a lost emotion but she quickly masked it. "Refrain from doing so again Barton or I'll kill you quicker than you can blink."

"Point taken Nat." Clint grinned at her as she glowered at him.

"Actually I will take the bed. I'd rather not look at your face any longer." Natalia stood up and moved to the bedroom.

After Clint made up a makeshift bed on the couch and turned off the lights he called out to her. "Goodnight Nat."

"Piss off Clint." Natalia replied drily. Clint smiled into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Clint was feeling quite happy to be back on his home soil. Well close to it anyway. He was at least in the states but he had no intention to ever visit Iowa again unless absolutely necessary. Instead he was in New York City, waiting at the airport. Clint hadn't seen Natalia for over a month. She left before he woke up after they completed the job with Nikolay's men. All that she left was a note telling him to meet her here on Wednesday the 19th at 17:00. Clint spent the month telling himself to forget about it and never see her again. Though he was sure the Widow would track him down and make his life very miserable if he didn't comply. Rather than waiting in casual clothes he'd put on a suit and glasses and stood with a sign with the word 'Nat' scrawled on it. He was sure she'd be very pleased.

"You're an idiot." Came the cool voice of Natalia behind him. Clint swore and spun around.

"Nice to see you too Nat." Clint replied wryly. She was dressed in dark blue tight fitting jeans and a thin black hoody. The hood was securely pulled up over her red hair. "Are you Natalia?" Clint then asked as a second thought.

"Natalie Rushman." Natalia supplied.

"Well Natalie, I apologise about the mistake. Shall we?" Clint asked, offering to take her suitcase which was rejected quickly.

Clint had rented a car, as he never stayed in one place for long there was no point him owning one. He did have a collection of safe houses and storage units loaded with cash, weapons and passports all around the world but they were more of a necessity. Natalia put her suitcase in the back and settled into the passenger seat. Clint's radio was very abruptly turned off.

"My car my radio." Clint snapped at her. "And get your feet of the dashboard."

"It's a renal car." Natalia responded coolly without moving her feet or even turning to look at him.

"In my name!"

"Please, if you used your real name for this then you deserve to have the car ruined." Natalia finally turned but only to give him a smirk. Clint couldn't really argue with her.

"So where are we going?" Clint asked, changing the subject and his impeding loss of an argument.

"I assume you have a safe house or something here yes?" Natalia queried as if any other answer than yes would be meet with stony silence or bullet wound.

"Will a motel do?" Clint said with a shrug. "Never purchased a place in New York. I'm kind of wanted here."

"Kind of wanted." Natalia stated rather than questioned.

"It was a weird time in my life." Clint replied, not really wanting to go into details. He had hoped to own a place in New York and be some kind of hero but here he was.

"I wouldn't call getting caught weird." Natalia retaliated, understanding Clint's evasive words. He was sure he'd never get her to mention much about her past. He'd done as much research on her as possible during the month and he's sure she did the same with him. There wasn't a lot he could uncover but from what he gathered, her training in the 'Red Room' wasn't a fun experience. The comment she made about her age and him not believing made him think she was experimented on. Most likely some formula similar to what was used on Steve Rogers back in the thirties. But it was all speculation and he thought it would be better not to dig too much.

"I don't trust you, just so you know." Clint glanced over at her. Natalia was looking back out the window with her blank expression.

"That's the first smart thing you've ever said." Natalia didn't turn to look at him but he didn't expect it. "I don't trust you either Hawkeye. Mercenaries are fickle. It's all about the money."

"And yet here I am, willingly to help you with a mark. One that I have no details of and to be honest I wasn't expecting to get paid for it." Clint remarked somewhat haughtily.

"Then why are you here?" Natalia finally turned back to him and fixed him with long stare.

"I felt it wasn't really optional." Clint grinned at her. To be honest he still wasn't really sure why he was willing to help her.

"Two smart statements in less than five minutes. Look out Barton, your head will explode." Natalia remarked dryly. Clint caught the signs of the slightest smile before it was wiped again. Maybe he'd work on his own mission, get her to properly smile.

* * *

><p>They'd arrived at the motel Clint was renting during their duration in New York. It was pretty seedy and he was sure most people who used were business men having affairs. But it was better that way, questions weren't asked. Natalia sneered at the state of the room but made no comment. He was sure she'd being in plenty worse places. He sure as hell had been. This was practically luxury compared to places he'd had to stay in. But it was all apart of the life he'd made for himself. One that he'd found himself increasingly unhappy in.<p>

Clint leant against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed as Natalia surveyed the room. The only separate room was the bathroom so it didn't take her long.

"It'll do." Natalia declared finally and put her luggage onto the bed. Clint guessed there wouldn't be any arguments over the bed this time, she'd claimed it. "This is just a job for you, but to me it's my life. If you're anything but professional, if you don't take orders when I give them and if you leak any information I'll kill you. The KGB aren't very forgiving about fuck ups."

"Way to kill the mood Nat." Clint muttered.

"I'm serious Barton."

"I get it. I'm not an amateur despite what you like to think. Though I think you know that otherwise I wouldn't be here with you. And stop with the threats. It doesn't make a very good professional relationship and you know I can match you in a fight." Clint snapped. Natalia seemed slightly taken aback. He would accept a certain level of coldness from her, it was just who she was but digs at his work ethic and death threats he wouldn't tolerate.

"Fine." Clint continued to watch her as she pulled out a laptop from her bag and started it. "What do you know about Anthony Stark?"

"Stark? As in Iron Man?" Clint raised a brow. Was that the mark? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Iron Man had given him the inspiration and courage to try and be a straight shooter at one point. It didn't work out but he didn't blame the man for it.

"Yes. The oversized tin can." Natalia snarked. Clint snorted.

"He's a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist."

"Oh please don't tell me you're a fan boy." Natalia looked at him with something akin to disgust. Clint shrugged. "Well don't worry I'm not here to kill him. Unless I have to." Natalia waved him over. "This man is Anton Vanko. He's a Russian scientist but he left to work with Stark. The KGB want him taken out for the betrayal and Stark's latest designs brought back to them. I'm going undercover as Natalie Rushman but Stark as you so admiringly put it – is a genius. I won't be able to wear any gear in without getting my cover blown. I need you to be my eyes and back up."

"So essentially I'll be following you around taking photos while you romance Stark?"

"What? Jealous? If we can get you into a dress would you like be Natalie?" Natalia asked politely.

"Hilarious Nat." Clint rolled his eyes. He was surprised he was still getting away with the nick name.

"Most likely I'll need you to take out Anton while I work the undercover part. Think you can manage?"

"You know I can." Clint winked at her and was meet with a scowl. But it was better than her usual blank face.

"I've got something for you." Natalia reached pulled out an enclosed cylinder tube and a black case out of her suitcase. Clint accepted them off her with only the slightest concern something would explode in his hand. "Don't shake it." Natalia warned making him think the exploding thing was a real possibility.

Clint investigated the tube and the case. His eyes went wide and it felt like all the Christmas and Birthdays that had never been celebrated, except by a heavy intake of alcohol by his father – had been made up for. Clint looked up at Natalia with awe and confusion at the gift. She might intend to have them used in the job to make it easier but it didn't matter to Clint.

"Well, what do you say?" Natalia asked with a raised brow. She seemed amused at his awe.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Clint was bored. He'd really gotten the short end of the stick with this job. He knew he could walk away any time. He didn't owe Natalia anything. Hell he wasn't even getting paid for this. Sure, he didn't need the money but it really he felt like he deserved some kind of reward. Though he remembered the gift Natalia had given him – it made this worth it. And so did working with her. Clint sighed and shifted his position on the roof slightly. Natalia had managed to get a small discrete ear piece so he'd at least been able to communicate with her and listen to her newest alias fawn over Stark.<p>

Probably the greatest thing about it was that he could talk to her and she couldn't do anything to stop him. Except turn the comms off but Natalia needed to be able to give him instructions when necessary.

'Natalie' was Stark's latest personal assistant. He still wasn't really sure how she swung that because he was sure there were women and men alike lining up outside Stark Tower in the hopes for that position. Hell, he was sure they'd take a toilet cleaner position if meant getting them in Stark Tower.

"Mr Stark, you have a dinner with a journalist. Should I call Happy to arrange a ride?" Natalia asked. Clint wasn't able to see her location but he assumed she was in Stark's workshop. His location on the roof only gave access to certain floors and rooms. Stark's workshop was hidden within the tower. The man might have been eccentric but at least he understood the need for some sort of secrecy.

"Busy. You go." Stark replied quickly. "And please, it's Tony. Mr Stark was my...father? Grandfather maybe."

"Mr Vanko, it looks like you have everything under control here." Natalia stated. Clint thinks it was for his benefit so he knew the location of Vanko. The Russian scientist was proving hard to find in an open area. Though the paranoia definitely wasn't unfounded. Clint could eliminate the man without anyone ever knowing who did it but if he didn't time it properly then Stark would know the Russians were pissed and go into lock down mode.

If that happened it would be nearly impossible for Natalia to get the information she needed. But Clint was beginning to think he'd never be able to take out the man anyway as the only time Anton left Stark Tower was to go to Stark Industries and that was done at random intervals.

"Ask him to go stand outside for a minute." Clint suggested. His suggestion was ignored. Nat would probably make him pay for all his off hand comments later.

"Go to your meeting Tony." Anton grumbled, his voice was rough and heavy with a Russian accent.

"Fine but only because you have such a pretty face." Stark complied. Clint was hoping he was referring to Natalia not Anton. Then again maybe the other way would sit better with him.

Clint zoned out and rolled onto his back. He didn't need to follow Stark and Natalia to the meeting. Out of the slim possibility that Anton left the tower he knew he should stay here but he couldn't take the shot yet anyway. Clint tried to find a star in the sky but to no avail. He was startled when Iron Man went streaking across the sky. Natalia swore in Russian.

"Babysitting Stark too much for you? Clint asked with amusement.

"Insufferable fool." Natalia muttered. "Stay where you are Hawkeye. Anton will be going to Stark Industries within the hour. Stark will be held up at dinner for a few hours. The journalist will...catch his attention. Blackout is a go."

"Copy that Black Widow." Clint rolled back onto his stomach and prepared his bow with a grin. Finally something more interesting was going to happen.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you very much to the people who have reviewed. It gives me the motivation to keep going with this. So onto another chapter, enjoy!**

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><p>Clint ran a calloused finger down the black arrow. It was something truly amazing. It was one of the many high tech arrows Natalia had gifted him with. Along with a beautiful new black carbon fibre bow. The arrow he was holding was designed to send an electrical pulse out on contact. He had to use all his self control not to test them all out when he was given them. But now, finally he could use them. Clint felt giddy.<p>

'Do try and control yourself Hawkeye." Natalia said wryly. Clint didn't even realise he said anything out loud. "Anton's on the move."

"In position." Clint responded.

The location he chose on the roof opposite Stark Tower wasn't great for views into the tower but it did give him one important thing. The main power line of Stark Tower ran directly behind the wall and Clint was in a prime position to take down the power supply. There would be back up generators but they'd take three minutes to boot up and restore minimal power. Their other advantage would be the power would be restored floor by floor giving Natalia more time to act.

Clint placed the arrow down and selected another. This one was bulkier but it would explode on contact. He took careful aim at the weakest spot. It would be for nothing if he couldn't expose the electrical wiring. He slowly released the string and grabbed the arrow back into his hand, the bow was lowered by his side until Natalia gave to go ahead.

"Anton has gone. I'm in position. Begin Blackout." Natalia said, her tone was all business. Clint thought it best not to reply with a smart ass comment.

The bow was raised again. Clint readied the arrow and pulled back the string. This time he quickly released it and nocked the EMP arrow. His aim was true and a split second after the arrow lodged into the wall it exploded. The explosion was minimal but it was enough to damage the wall and reveal the wiring behind it. Clint released the second arrow and it struck the wiring. His sharp eyes saw the blue burst of the electromagnetic pulse and the tower was plunged into darkness.

Clint jumped out of his crouch and swung his kit bag over his shoulder along with his bow and ran along the rooftop to his next position. From this point he was able to see a room full of computers. This was going to really put his archery skills to test. Clint pulled out the third arrow he needed to use for Blackout. It was designed to hit a computers USB port. Natalia had put a virus onto the USB within the arrow.

It was what she called a Zip-Bomb. It was a tiny file, only 42 kilobytes but the computer's virus system would scan it and try to open it. The file would be forced open and then be decompressed. That done the tiny file would turn into 4,500,00 gigabytes and completely crash the whole system. Clint mostly smiled and nodded at Natalia's explanation. He didn't need to know the details, he just had to deliver the USB to it's target.

It would hopefully distract Stark's AI and their real intentions.

There was only one chance to do this. Clint rarely doubted his abilities but it was going to be essentially him shooting an arrow forty metres, through a glass window which would affect the speed and trajectory if he didn't put enough strength behind the drawback and then hit a target that Clint struggled to see despite his eyesight.

"No pressure or anything." Clint murmured and line up the shot.

"Make the shot Hawkeye." Natalia demanded. The longer it took him to knock out the main computers the less time she had.

Clint drew the string back steadily and released with the string with a large exhale. The arrow pierced through the window causing fractures in the glass. The arrow bypassed the first few rows of computers. Clint had planned that because if the arrow hit with full force the USB could be damaged. He felt his breath catch in his throat as the arrow rushed towards the target. He almost couldn't watch. What felt like hours but was really only seconds, the arrow hit it's mark. Clint could see the computer screen flashing as the virus uploaded and trashed the systems.

"I am so good." Clint stated feeling exceptionally proud of that shot. "You're good to go Black Widow."

Stark Tower began blaring with sirens. They'd been prepared for it and Clint was surprised it didn't start as soon as he fired the first arrow.

Clint kept watch but he wasn't able to see what Natalia was doing. The lights had started flickering back on from the first floor and moving there way up. Clint estimated Nat had about four minutes left before she'd be out of time. What he wasn't expecting to see was the red and gold blur flash across the skies towards him. Tony was meant to be buried in the journalist by now with no knowledge of what was going on. Clint ducked down behind an air vent to avoid being spotted before nocking an arrow. He'd have to keep Iron Man busy to give the Widow more time.

"Black Widow we have company. I'll keep Iron Man distracted but you better hurry it up." Clint warned then fired a standard arrow at Stark as he flew past. The arrow hit with a metallic thud and Iron Man screeched to a halt and turn around to face the roof Clint was on.

"I need more time. Stark has all the plans on a private server. I can't get access to it. His AI is more advanced than I was aware of." Natalia sounded frustrated.

Clint let loose another arrow and was up and running now that his hiding place was given away. Iron Man was after him in an instant. Clint ducked and rolled to avoid a blow from a repulsor and fired an arrow as he right himself. He'd considered using one of the exploding arrows but he really didn't want to kill Stark.

Iron Man landed with a thud on the roof. "Who sent you elf?" Clint remained silent and sent another arrow flying. On the ground Iron Man wasn't as agile and the arrow struck Stark's left arm. It hardly even made a dent. "You're a silent type. I get it." The next arrow was blown out of the air by Iron Man's repulsor. "Hm let's see here...Clinton Francis Barton. Orphaned at the age of six. Joined a circus. Fell off the radar and popped up again only two years ago in New York as costumed thief."

Clint scowled. He didn't even steal anything. That's what he gets for trying to help people. He was impressed at how fast Tony gathered that information though. Clint had tried to have his past erased but apparently it wasn't as gone as he'd expected. If Nat found about the costume he'd be ridiculed.

"Costume? Really Hawkeye?" Natalia asked unimpressed. Clint had forgotten about the comms.

"What's your angle here Legolas?" Tony questioned. "Anyone with a half brain would know I don't keep any confidential information on my main computer system. So why bother with the virus?" Clint kept his face calm but he was relived that Stark didn't realise Nat was trying to hack his private server. The interference from the EMP and the virus must have kept the AI distracted enough that it couldn't alert it's creator. "Still nothing?" Clint readied another arrow but didn't fire it. "How about I go inside and ask your partner instead then? I'm not even pissed. It's helpful to have my security flaws pointed out. Your partner might be brilliant at hacking but no one can get past my encryptions. JARVIS, activate Mark XXVII. Protocol Disco Ball."

"Hawkeye take him out! There's a suit in here with me." Natalia cried out urgently. The sound of a repulsor firing rang in his ear.

Clint released the EMP arrow with only a moment of hesitancy. It shouldn't hurt Tony but he was hoping it would disrupt the signal between the suits long enough that Natalia could get out of there. The arrow hit and Tony staggered as the current flared through the suit.

"Get out of there!" Clint demanded. He wouldn't kill Iron Man despite what she wanted and he didn't want her injured.

"Done firing arrows at me Link?" Iron Man raised both arms and aimed the repulors at Clint. "Now are we going to do this the easy way?"

Clint pulled out an arrow he hadn't tested yet. This one could be rigged, a way to end his life after Natalia was done with this job. But he'd take a chance. Clint turned from Iron Man and took off running. He fired it into the building over the road and leapt as the energy from the repulors slammed into him. Clint was winded but he didn't have time to recover. The arrow reacted once it was released and a grappling hook caught the edge of the roof. He was genuinely surprised as the cabling trailed out from the arrow. The end of the cable was attached to his bow and he his grip on it tightened. There was little he could do about the speed he was going at though. Clint assessed his options quickly. He'd either slam into the building and break a few bones or he'd have to go through a window.

Which would be fine but he really didn't know how this arrow worked and given it was attached to his bow he'd have to let it go. That wasn't an option. But it was his only option. Clint swore and tucked himself into a ball as he smashed through a window. Shards of glass went flying. Clint couldn't just leave his bow there so he pulled a long knife and reached out the window to grab it. The cabling was surprisingly strong for something so thin. He really thought it would just break and he'd plummet it to his death. Clint growled and pulled on his bow. The cable released and his bow was free. Clint was fascinated but he didn't have the time to be, the sound of Iron Man's repulors caught his ears.

Clint had set off the building alarm. Things were getting messy very fucking quickly. Clint sprinted through the empty office and into a long hallway. The elevators required a keypass so he kept going until he found the stairs. The door out to the stairs was locked but with a heavy booted kicked the door gave in. Clint didn't have time to take the steps one at a time and instead swung over the railing and down to the next level. He kept this up until he was on the basement level. There was no way he'd be able to get out of the ground floor. It was locked tight and he didn't want to draw more attention by blasting a hole through the window.

The basement level wasn't looking any more promising but after a lap around the car park he found an emergency exit. Thankfully it opened from the inside. Clint didn't have time to catch his breath now that he was outside. He didn't know if Iron Man was following him and the police would be on their way.

Clint kept to the alleys and side streets as he made his way back to the motel. Natalia wasn't responding through the comms. He didn't know whether to take it as a sign to go dark or whether she was in trouble. Clint was at a loss and he didn't know whether it was through sheer incompetency, the lack of ability to work with someone or not having the heart to attack and kill Iron Man. It was probably all three. Clint hadn't felt like this since his first merc job. And even that was an improvement to what just happened.

There was no plan in place if something like this happened. If Nat's cover wasn't blown, he didn't want to risk going back in. But if it was then he had no idea how he was going to get her out. Clint resorted to a bottle of whiskey to try and ease his nerves once he'd picked all the broken glass out of his skin.

The bottle of whiskey was halfway through when the door opened. Clint instantly reached for his gun but lowered it quickly. "Nat?"

"What the hell Barton?!" Natalia was angry. Clint was more concerned for his life than he was before. "I told you to take him out not run!"

"Well I made a different call." Clint snapped coldly. "Killing him wasn't essential to the job. You weren't getting that information anyway."

"That's not the point!"

"I'm not going to kill someone in cold blood."

"Russia tells a different story. I don't believe someone changes that much in a month. It's not about the killing, it's about who." Natalia spoke softer now but Clint knew it wouldn't take much to rile her up again. He took a long swig of the whiskey then passed it to Natalia.

"Call it an unwillingness to kill someone...something that I thought I could have been." Clint muttered and accepted the bottle back after Natalia took a drink.

"A hero?" Natalia looked genuinely surprised.

"Something like that...A straight shooter at least." Clint sighed and took another long drink. Natalia snatched the bottle off him.

"A costumed thief. You were trying to help but got blamed." Natalia sat down at the table with him.

Clint shrugged. He hadn't told anyone, he never had anyone to tell. Since he left the circus, left his brother, the Swordsmen and Trick Shot he'd been alone. Even with them he felt alone. "I moved on."

"Did you? Tonight says otherwise."

"Leave it Natalia. It's in the past." Clint snatched the bottle off her and headed for the couch. He wasn't discussing his past and he sure as hell wasn't in the mood to discuss the fuck up on the job.

Natalia was silent for a while but he could hear her moving around. "Someone once told me everyone has a choice."

Clint didn't want to take back his words. He felt Natalia was bringing that up for him as much as it was for her. If he gave up hope on making a change to his life then she never would. Clint at least had freedom. Nat didn't have that luxury and he wanted it for her. "I made my choice."

"No, you took the easy way out. You didn't fight for what you want, you ran. I didn't take you for a coward Barton." Natalia's tone wasn't cruel but his only response was to throw the nearly empty bottle somewhere in her direction. He heard the shattering of glass against a wall. "Try not to choke on your vomit while you sleep." Natalia called out coldly and turned the lights off.

Clint doubted he'd be getting any sleep tonight. The effects of the alcohol were wearing off and he could feel the pain from the injuries he'd sustained earlier. Iron Man's respulors hit with a lot of force. He'd dug the broken glass out of his skin before he started drinking but the cuts were stinging. But he focused on the pain because he didn't want to think about anything else. In a different world he could have been standing by Iron Man's side. Natalia was right, he was a coward. He shouldn't have run. It was too late now. Tony knew his face, knew it as an enemy.

At some point Clint had fallen into an uneasy sleep but he was woken up by something. Clint sat up and rubbed at his eyes and tried to figure out what woke him. It was the sound of a mixture of whimpering and harsh breathing. Clint looked over to the bed. Natalia was deep in a nightmare. She would thrash occasionally and even increased to a sob. Clint knew she wouldn't take kindly to the knowledge he heard it. But he couldn't just leave her in that state.

Clint padded over to her and sat down on the edge of the bed. The bed dipped slightly but Natalia wasn't roused from the nightmare. "Natalia, wake up." Clint sighed, there was no response. He was really going to end up dead. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder and called her name out again. The effect was instantaneous. Clint found himself being thrown onto the ground. Natalia landing on top of him with a pale hand around his throat.

"Natalia it's me. Clint." Clint coughed out as his air ways were restricted. He could have knocked off her in the state she was in easily enough but he didn't want to alarm her any more. "Nat!"

"Ba...Barton." Natalia gasped out and released the grip on his neck.

Clint rubbed at his neck absent-mindedly. Natalia's eyes were wide and her breathing was still harsh. It was the most human she'd ever looked but Clint was concerned for her. She looked damaged and scared. Natalia sat back on her heels but she was still straddling him. She stared down at his chest with a forlorn expression. "I'm not going to hurt you Nat." Clint reassured softly. There was no response from her. "How 'bout getting back into bed?"

Natalia got up and sat on the edge of the bed. "Go back to sleep Barton. I'm fine."

Clint sat up but avoided standing. He didn't want to tower over her. But Natalia had already pulled her mask back on and nothing about her said she just suffered from a horrendous nightmare. There was no point arguing the fact with her so Clint conceded. "I'm here if you need me."

There was only silence from Clint so he returned back to the couch. Sleep was taking him once again but Natalia spoke so softly he strained to hear the words.

"It's fine."

"What is Nat?" Clint asked with confusion.

"That you call me Natasha."


	8. Chapter 8

For some reason Clint had thought the morning would be somewhat different. Things seemed to have dramatically changed the night before. Clint confessed about his attempt to become a straight shooter and Nat had decided Clint could call her Natasha, a name only very close friends or family would call someone with the name Natalia. But, of course things were back to some kind of disagreement and the Widow being colder than ice.

Clint sighed a took a large gulp of his coffee to put off the conversation. It burned his throat and his eyes were watering but he pretended like nothing had happened.

"Are you even listening to me?" Natasha asked haughtily, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Don't disobey your eminences orders again?" Clint replied lightly. It only earned him another glare.

"Stark doesn't suspect me as your partner, the blackout prevented the security cameras from working. I will try and work a different angle to get the desig-

"You mean sleep with him until he gives you whatever you want?" Clint cut her off.

"If that's what it takes." Natalia responded coldly. "I don't want you near Stark again after last night."

Clint was about to make another snarky comment but then he realised it might be Nat's round a bout way of trying to protect him. He couldn't kill Stark but he doubted the man would be too willingly to pull punches if they ran into each other again. So Clint kept his mouth shut and nodded once sharply.

"It's a safe assumption Stark will have eyes on all roof tops around Stark Tower and Industries so you'll need to map Anton's route between the two and take him out then. I doubt security on him will be any different as Stark thinks you're after information."

"I don't like the idea of you fucking him." Clint muttered. He didn't know why he was feeling so sore over it. The Black Widow was renowned for sleeping with men for information then killing them. It's what she did long before him and will do long after him. But Clint frowned at the thought of the future without her in it. He was breaking all his own rules and he didn't care.

"Don't make this personal Barton." Natasha warned.

"It's hard not to _Natasha._" It was the first time he'd actually called her that since she gave the permission. Now probably wasn't the time and no doubt he'd get his rights to use that name revoked. Instead though Nat looked uncomfortable and perhaps a little put out.

"Why does it bother you?" Natasha finally asked.

"I don't know." Clint answered truthfully, turning his focus back to his coffee cup. He stared at it so intently he thought it might provide him with the answer.

"I think you do. You just don't want to admit it." Natasha sat down across from him. "Don't do this to yourself Barton. In case it's escaped your notice I am not the relationship type. Love is for children and fools. I am neither."

"I barely trust you let alone love you." Clint scowled at the implications. Then scowled again for implying that he did trust her to a point now.

"Good. Keep it that way." Natasha stood again and headed for the bathroom to change herself into Natalie Rushman. "For what it's worth, I barely trust you either."

Clint couldn't help the grin that slipped onto his face. It quickly disappeared. Things were getting complicated. He was in too deep now though. No matter what he tried to tell himself, there was no way he'd leave now. Clint had a lot of opportunities to do it earlier, to kill her even. Yet he didn't take them and now he was screwed.

He's not even sure whether she's being genuine towards him or just manipulating him. But why bother manipulate him when he's already doing what she wants? Or is he doing it because she manipulated him?

A flare of anger surged through him. There were too many variables and nothing that he could rely upon to be the truth.

The Black Widow was the least trustworthy and most manipulative person he's ever meet. But here he was. Trying to make friends with her and thinking it's working. It might be, he could really be getting her to open up. Or it's just a ploy on her behalf. Clint had smashed the coffee into the wall before he could even think about his actions.

The bathroom door opened and Natasha raised a brow at him. "Was that really necessary Barton?"

"Are you just manipulating me to get what you want?"Clint asked bluntly.

"Does it really matter what I tell you? You won't believe me either way." Natasha said icily and slammed the door shut.

Clint sighed. Well that answered nothing but he was certain he saw a flash of hurt pass her deep blue eyes.

* * *

><p>Things didn't really improve through out the day at all. Natasha left without a word and left the comms at home so he couldn't contact her even if he wanted to. But this did tell Clint one thing, she was genuinely pissed and possibly hurt about earlier. Nat was all about the mission and she wouldn't risk it. At least he thinks that was accurate. He couldn't be really sure. Mostly he thinks he's just pissed off at himself for constantly second doubting her and then himself.<p>

The worst thing was there was shit all he could do without Natasha contacting him. He wouldn't known when Anton was moving and he couldn't chance hanging around the tower waiting for it to happen. Which meant he was facing a long day sitting in the motel doing nothing. It wouldn't be worth facing the wraith of the Widow if he went out and got caught by the police or Stark.

So he finally admitted defeat and turned the television on. It had been so long since he actually sat down and relaxed. But he didn't like it. It made him feel caged in and Clint quickly fled to the roof of the motel. It was only four stories but it was better than nothing.

It was where Natasha found him long after night had fallen.

"Hey." She called out warily. Clint flinched, not hearing her come up to the roof.

"Hey." Clint responded softly. Natasha made her way across the roof and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry about earlier. But you have to get it right? You have a reputation." Clint wasn't sure if he was going to offend her again but he couldn't sit on this any longer.

"I know." Natasha acknowledged. "Look Barton, I don't do emotions and feelings and all that crap but nothing I've done in New York is borne of ill intentions or me trying to manipulate you." Natasha feel silent for a moment before adding, "besides I don't need to manipulate you. You're too scared of me to do anything but what I tell you." Natasha bumped his shoulder with hers.

Clint allowed a smile to form. It was the first time Nat had ever touched him physically that wasn't a fight. "I am terrified of you." Clint said deadly serious. Natasha smiled lightly and Clint felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn't something that faded in milliseconds, so fleet that he thought he might have imagined it. Her smile was perfect and now he wanted nothing more than to see a bigger smile and then if he was truly lucky, a laugh.


	9. Chapter 9

For the past week Clint had been stalking Anton between Stark Tower and Stark Industries. The car rarely took the same route and it was seriously beginning to piss him off. He needed a set route so he could set himself up on a rooftop to assassinate the man. Preferably near traffic lights so he can take advantage of car halting for a few minutes. It wasn't that he couldn't take out a moving target but there was more that would likely go wrong in that scenario and if he fucked it up then it would be near impossible to take the man out if Stark upped the security on Anton.

But his waning patience was finally rewarded. There was one place that Anton always stopped at. It took him a while to discover it because often he was in the wrong place trying to figure out where the car was. Nat wouldn't allow a tracking device because there a high chance Tony would discover it. So now instead of flitting from alley way to rooftops all over the fucking city, Clint was perched on an eight storey office building watching the drive thru coffee shop across the road.

Natasha had given him a heads up that Anton was on his way to Stark Industries earlier. Clint had jumped into action and found the ideal place take watch. While he waited he ran a finger softly over his bow. After the catastrophe with not knowing how the trick arrows worked with the bow, Clint had spent his spare time inspecting it. He didn't want to ask Nat about it, the condescension from her would be unbearable. He was a master archer, he should know how to work a bow and arrow. Clint had worked out the functions now and honestly he just wanted to take a moment to admire the bow. It was truly a beautiful thing. Hopefully Natasha wouldn't take it off him at the end of the job. Clint tightened the grip on the bow.

The weather was relatively warm but anything compared to his stay in Russia felt warm. Or maybe that was more to do with Nat, she'd thawed out a lot recently. Clint didn't have much to do while he waited for Anton to arrive so he watched the clouds in the distance while glancing down at the coffee shop frequently.

"Hey Natasha I found a cloud that looks like your heart." Clint said with a grin. The comms were active but he wasn't really supposed to be using them unless necessary. "Or maybe it's the iceberg that sunk the titanic."

"Hilarious Barton." Natasha murmured. Clint wasn't expecting a reply so she must be alone but still being cautious.

"Taking a break from trying to ruin Stark?"

"Even the wicked need to rest." Natasha responded softly. "Get back to work Barton."

"I could say the same for you. Stark isn't going to woo himself."

"I'm pretty sure he spends most of his time wooing himself." Natalia grumbled. "Now, unlike you I can't lay around watching clouds all day. Don't contact me again unless it's relating to the job and actually important."

Clint didn't respond but smiled. There'd being no arguments between them for the last week. Natasha was still mostly cold and expressionless but she did put up with his comments and jokes far easier and occasionally responded with her own sense of humour. Being Russian, it wasn't always great. But Clint enjoyed it just the same.

It didn't take much longer before the black car pulled into the coffee drive thru. Clint grabbed one of his standard arrows and readied it. Clint adjusted his sun glasses to ensure the sun wouldn't affect his aim.

Clint waited until the car pulled out before pulling the string back. As soon as the black car turned and he could see Anton in the back seat. With a steady breath and heart beat Clint released the string. The arrow collided with the window and fell to the ground. Clint swore, the arrows whilst standard were made of material that should pierce bullet proof windows, courtesy of the Black Widow.

The failed arrow attack was noticed by the occupants of the car. The driver instantly switched into evasive manoeuvres and he wouldn't be surprised if Iron Man was already called in. Clint didn't have time to waste and grabbed an explosive arrow. He aimed for the tires and tried to predict the next movement of the car before firing. Whilst his long shot aim was even better than his short one was, he didn't want to cause unnecessary deaths.

Clint no longer felt as calm as he did before. The arrow pierced the tire of the car and a split second later it exploded. The force of the explosion caused the back end of the car to raise into the air and then flip into traffic. The skidded to a halt on its roof. He didn't have a clean shot from his position on the roof any more.

There was no hesitation as Clint grabbed a cable arrow and activated the grappling hook. He attached it to the lip of the roof and jumped off backwards, absailing down the building. People were gaping at him but Clint kept going. He had to get this done before Iron Man showed and everything went to shit. More than it already had. This whole job was a cluster fuck.

"Hawkeye clean up your mess. Iron Man is on the way. ETA three minutes." Natasha warned, her tone was somewhere between pissed off, warning and slightly concerned.

"Under control Black Widow." Clint answered as he let go of the cable and free fell the last few feet. Clint already had another arrow ready as he ran towards the car. People were screaming and pointing. Clint tried not to pay much attention to the photos that were being taken. They'd have something more exciting in a minute. Or two minutes to be exact. He really didn't want to tangle with Iron Man again but it was going to be a large possibility.

The force of the explosion had cracked the car windows. Anton was slumped upside down but Clint couldn't tell whether he was dead or not. Now that he had clear shot and released the arrow and this time it pierced through the window and into Anton's neck. If he wasn't dead before, he was now. He tried not to think about the drivers fate. At least there had being no other civilian casualties. The cars that had been involved were damaged but upright and the passengers shaken but not severely injured.

"Target is dead." Clint advised Natasha as he took off running. He slung his bow over his broad shoulders and tried to find an escape route. The excited cheering of the crowd behind him warned him Iron Man was in sights.

"Iron Man?" Natasha asked, this time the concern was far more notable. Clint didn't have time to make a comment or even think about it though. He was ducking into an alley as the blast from Iron Man's repulsors rushed past him.

"Here. Go dark." Clint ordered. It was the first time he'd actually made any real order or call on the job but Natasha complied and fell silent. If he got caught by Tony he didn't want to risk Nat's life or status as 'Natalie.'

Clint scaled a chain fence as Iron Man flew around the corner. It really wasn't fair. He couldn't out run the suit but Clint fired an EMP arrow in hopes it would slow Stark down long enough that he could find somewhere to hide. He didn't bother wasting time to see whether it worked. Clint came out onto a main street and took a left turn. Iron Man would hold back more because of the mass amounts of people milling about. As much as Clint loathed to use that as his advantage he had little choice.

"Drop the bow Legolas." Iron Man called out. Clint swore, he thought he'd buy himself more time than that. "Last week I wasn't pissed. I would have let it slide. But now, you've killed a friend."

The crowd was beginning to part and Clint was losing his advantage quickly. Clint had one more advantage up his sleeve. A young girl, no more than ten was rushing past him to get to her parents. Clint grabbed her by the arm and pulled her against him. He pulled out his knife and held it to her throat. "You can let her die here and take me in. Or you can let her live and let me go. Your choice."

Clint tried to ignore the sobs coming from the child. It was going to haunt him for a long time. He'd never hurt children before or threatened them. It was another one of his rules. Natasha would make sure he broke them all by the time she was done with him. He resented himself for thinking it but he was under stress and his mind was turning traitorous. Clint held the girl as loosely as he dared so he didn't hurt her psychically. "I'm sorry." Clint murmured down to her softly.

Iron Man lowered his arm and the repulsor powered down. "I will find you and make you pay for this."

Clint dropped his gaze and slunk into the crowd, taking the child with him. He knew Tony wouldn't follow him until the child was returned safely. He had to get as far away as possible to ensure he could go into hiding. Clint covered a few blocks before stopping. He dropped down to his knees and looked at the young girl. She'd stopped crying but her eyes were red and puffy. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"I know this won't make up for it but it's all I have." Clint pulled out all the money he had in his pocket. "I'm going to leave you here. Iron Man will come and get you okay?"

The girl clutched the money looking confused. She nodded her head but Clint doubted she understood what was happening.

Clint disappeared into a side street and found a sewer grate. He pulled it back and slipped down into the dark tunnel before putting the grate back in place. He wasn't happy about being in a sewer again so soon after Russia but he'd just traumatised a child and he wasn't willing to do any further damage. Clint walked for hours and had eventually made his way into old tunnels and abandoned subway tracks. He'd passed groups of homeless people taking residence in the tunnels which made him think night had fallen by now.

No doubt his face would be everywhere by now. The smallest amount of attention would mean he'd be running from Iron Man again.

It took him another two hours to get back to the motel room. He'd had a few close calls with patrolling police officers and a group of people recognising him. Clint had to go back into the underground tunnels and lay low again for awhile. He had no idea where Nat would be there or not. They'd stayed dark so Natasha wouldn't be compromised.

The motel room was dark but Clint figured Stark would have her busy in light of today's events. He ignored the feeling of disappointment. Her snarky attitude would be ideal right now. Clint couldn't get the child's scared face out of his head. He'd never hated himself as much as he did right now. Clint threw his bow and quiver on the table and collapsed onto the couch. It groaned in protest but it was the least of his worries.

Clint knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He'd be plagued by nightmares of her innocent face forever scarred by his actions.


	10. Chapter 10

Natasha returned before the sun rose and Clint was up as soon as he heard the key in the door. He hadn't really slept other than a light restless sleep. Years of training and nearly being killed had taught him to wake up instantly and be completely alert. He doubted it was anyone but Natasha but he still prepared to grab his bow.

Clint relaxed as he watched Natasha slip into the room. She was quiet and gently shut the door. If Clint was in a deeper sleep before then he'd probably have slept through her entrance. It was something he'd have to make sure he was far more aware of, he still didn't fully trust her.

"You're still up." Natasha said questioningly.

Clint shrugged. "I'm sure Stark filled you in with the details."

"That you used a hostage? So what? Use everything in your surroundings to your advantage." Natasha said casually and factually. After a moment of silence where Clint didn't reply she seemed to pick up on something. "Oh. It bothers you that you used a child?"

"That shouldn't be a question Natasha." Clint muttered. He didn't want to be annoyed at her but the fact she seemed unsure that it was wrong irked him. But he couldn't blame her, it was the people who raised her to be the emotionless assassin.

"You didn't hurt her. She'll get over it. The alternative was bystanders getting injured or you being killed. Or worse, captured."

"I wouldn't say being captured is worse than being killed." Clint really had to wonder about her priories. Though maybe she was aiming at distracting him which proved to be effective.

"Then you've never being tortured by a professional." Natasha responded bluntly.

Clint knew if he was sympathetic towards her then she'd probably punch him. Instead he pulled his legs off the couch and gestured she sit down. Natasha was still standing at the door. "Are you any closer to getting the files?"

Natasha sat down on the couch and threw her feet up onto the coffee table. "The man is easy to seduce but not foolish. I've only gotten basic information that is easy to obtain. I'd hoped that the death of Anton might make him reckless but instead he's just pissed off." Natasha shrugged as if human emotions just confused her.

"How strange." Clint replied drily. Sometimes he wondered if she was a robot. "What's your plan then?"

"Put him in a position where he can't refuse." Natasha sounded deadly. Clint had a feeling someone else's life was about to be at stake.

Clint thought for a second before clicking. "Virginia Potts?"

"You're not just as pretty face after all." Natasha said humourlessly. As if she wasn't talking about threatening the most important person in Tony Stark's life.

"You think I'm pretty?" Clint gasped and held a hand to his heart. Because playing around with her was easier than thinking about the horrible things she was capable of. And the horrible things he'd do to please her.

"When I'm drunk, sure." Natasha gave him a tiny smile and somehow that made it all worth it.

"Better than nothing. I'll take it." Clint grinned back at her and bumped shoulders. It was the only physical touch he could away with. Clint is pretty sure he's the only one who could get away with it.

"Try and get some sleep Barton. We have a long day ahead tomorrow. Or later today I guess." Natasha got up and headed to the bathroom before settling in bed. Clint settled back on the couch.

"Night Tasha." Clint mumbled. The exhaustion, both mental and physical had hit him hard. Having Natasha back in the motel room made him feel more at ease and she'd help take his mind off the day.

"Stop butchering my name Clint." Natasha warned lightly.

Clint only slept a few hours before Natasha kicked his foot that was hanging off the couch. It was quickly made up for by the coffee she then waved under his nose. Not so long ago Clint would have assumed it was poisoned. Now he only half heartedly thinks it.

"Bleach or rat poison?" Clint asks with a grin before sitting up and taking the coffee.

"I'm not telling, it would ruin the surprise." Natasha says with a smirk.

Clint is surprised when he takes a sip and finds it's exactly to his liking. He wonders how Natasha knew, then again she probably spent a lot of time watching him, learning everything about him. Not out of a caring nature but as she's said before, everything can be an advantage. And he supposed right now, coffee was to her advantage because he didn't moan about the initial rude awakening.

"So what's the plan Black Widow? I kidnap Potts and threaten Stark until he hands over the files?" Clint asks with a small amount of resignation. He wasn't looking forward to it. Another innocent hostage in two days was really going to destroy him. But he'd do it, for her.

"No. Stark has Pepper surrounded with security after the attack on Anton. He still trusts me as a PA so I can get close to her. Had to blow my cover eventually." Natasha says with an uncaring shrug. Clint thinks originally the plan would have been him going after Pepper but Nat didn't want to put him in that situation. "I'll need you to be back up if Stark tries anything."

"Tash don't change the plan if you don't think it's suitable. I'll do it if it's less risk and has a higher chance of succeeding." Clint was grateful she was giving him an out but at the same time he wasn't going to let her put herself in high risk situation.

"It doesn't matter who does it, either way someone is going to have to be back up and either way my cover is going to be blown. It's easier for me to grab her. You're better at long distance so I'd rather you watching my back than be in the middle of it." Natasha reasons. In fact it sounds like it was her plan all along but Clint can't help but feel she did have something else planned until she got back to the motel and saw how messed up he was about using a young girl as a hostage.

"If you think that's the best option and have no other ideas then let's do it."

"I have no other plan in place." Natasha said a moment of hesitation.

Clint wasn't going to acknowledge it but the words slip out before he can stop it. "Thank you Natasha."

Natasha nods once in acceptance and understanding. "Pepper will be at Stark Towers at noon for lunch with Stark. I'll grab her near a window on Stark's personal floor so you're able to have eyes and ears on the situation. Only act if you need to. Hopefully he won't pull any heroic shit and we'll be done with this by the end of the day."

"Then what?" Clint asked, he should have been focusing on the task at hand but for some reason the after was more important to him.

"I'll have to return to Russia to report back to the KGB and receive my next mission." Natasha replied factually. After a pause she then looked up at him thoughtfully. "Perhaps I'll need outside help."

"I don't know where you'd find someone to help you. You terrify everyone." Clint said with a smirk. "But I guess I'm probably free."

"I don't scare you any more?" Natasha asked and Clint could have sworn she pouted.

"Spiders are more scared of you than you are of them." Clint's smirked widened.

"Oh? Interesting." Natasha clicked her tongue thoughtfully and walked around the couch to head to the bathroom. Clint wasn't sure whether she was pissed or not. But as it turns out she wasn't heading to the bathroom. Before he could even react he found the couch tipping backwards. His coffee was thrown up and onto him, thankfully by now it had cooled down. Natasha stuck a bare foot over his throat as he laid on the up turned couch, his head on the ground. "You're in my web. Lucky for you I've already eaten."

Clint just stared up at her in a state of shock. He knew he really shouldn't be surprised but he was sure he looked ridiculous. Soaked in coffee, stuck under her tiny foot and blinking stupidly.

And then she laughed. It was at his expense but he couldn't care less. If her laugh was the only sound he could ever hear then he thinks he'd happy with that. Natasha took away her foot with a grin. It was a mocking smile but it wasn't cruel.

Clint swung his legs backwards and over his head, performing a backwards roll and jumping up onto his feet gracefully. Performing in a circus sometimes paid off. "As much as I love my morning coffee, I don't know how I feel about bathing in it. I'm going to go take a shower. Can't promise I won't use all the hot water." Clint winked at her and darted off to the shower to hear yelling 'Barton!'

Two showers later—one hot and one cold – and the two assassins were on the way to Stark Tower. Natasha sending him withering glares every now and then. He honestly hadn't meant to use all the hot water but he got so caught up thinking about her laughing, smiling and being almost a normal person around him it caused him to get distracted.

"Oh come on Nat, it was an accident. You're from Russia, surely you're used to the cold." Clint reasoned half heartedly.

"Keep it up Barton. I dare you." Natasha's patience for his antics seemed to be wearing thin. It's not like he'd made a few other remarks about the cold shower incident already. "Next time I'll make sure the coffee is scalding hot."

"Next time? You're planning on flipping a couch with me on it again?" Clint laughed.

"No. But I'm not beyond throwing a cup at you." Natasha replied snarkily.

"Point taken." Clint shut up. He'd be on alert from now on whenever she was holding a cup. Natasha smiled lightly and looked out the window.

They remained in an easy silence for the rest of the taxi ride. Natasha instructed the driver to stop a few blocks away from Stark Tower to let Clint out. He'd continue the rest of the journey on foot and find himself a nest on a rooftop.

"Watch over me Hawk." Natasha said softly. Clint wasn't sure whether it was code to watch her back or whether she meant it in a different sense. He didn't want to question it before they started a high risk job though.

"Always."


	11. Chapter 11

It wasn't until Clint settled on the roof that he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Occasionally he got these feelings and when he did, something got fucked up really quickly. Generally he just rolled with it because it was only ever him. But now, he was watching Natasha in Stark Tower, surrounded by dangerous tin can suits. If he had any authority on this job or even if Natasha would actually listen to him then he'd call the job off right now and go back to the drawing board. He shouldn't have let Nat convince him it was fine to go with this plan. There was nothing he could do except watch Natasha through the giant floor to ceiling windows and wait for the inevitable.

"Be careful Nat. I've got a bad feeling."Clint warned through the comms. He doubted she'd heed it but it was the only thing he could really do.

Nat didn't respond verbally given she wasn't alone. Pepper was sitting at the table going through paperwork with Nat's help. However she scratched her left cheek, the side of the comm. Clint knew she at least acknowledged his warning but he still doubted it was going to do much good.

Things looked completely normal with both the women buried in paper work. Natasha playing her role as Natalie Rushman perfectly. Clint watched as she laughed at something Pepper said. He knew it was an act but it looked so natural. A small grin forms on his face as he thinks about her laugh, even when it was at his expense.

Natasha stood up and headed towards the kitchen after a nod from Pepper after an offer of coffee. Even her voice seemed more high than usual. Clint wasn't sure if it really was or whether he was just associating 'Natalie' as not his Natasha. The Russian assassin moves around the large kitchen with ease and stops to slip a knife out of the block so casually it was as if she needed it to make the coffee. Nat hadn't been able to take her own weapons in with Stark's increased security. Clint could see the moment she dropped the Natalie act, she turned into a predator and stalked towards Pepper.

A moment of confusion slips over Pepper's face as she finds a knife held tightly against it. The confusion turns to shock and then anger.

"Stand up. Slowly." Natasha directs, her voice smooth and emotionless.

"I knew it...I told Tony there was something off about you!" Pepper spits out angrily but complying with Nat's orders and slips off the chair.

"Oh please. You had no idea, you were driven by jealously." Natasha scoffs and herds Pepper closer to the window.

"I see no reason for jealously. Even now that I'm the CEO of Stark Industries – I still take out his trash ." Pepper replied bitterly. Clint was impressed. He doubted Nat had many people stand up to her. Though Pepper also wasn't aware the imposter PA was the Black Widow.

"Brave words for a weak girl." Natasha drawled out. "JARVIS please alert Stark of the current situation."

"Right away Miss Rushman."

"JARVIS should have already alerted Tony!" Pepper looks put out.

"I did a little...tinkering." Natasha smirks cruelly. Clint rolls his eyes. She really got way too much entertainment from tormenting people.

"It's a nice change you're not tormenting me." Clint murmured into the comms. Nat shrugged her left shoulder in agitation and he smirked.

"JARVIS is an AI with unbreakable firewalls." Pepper said, it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself that this was correct.

"Unbreakable for an idiot maybe." Natasha muttered. "JARVIS ETA on Stark."

"Less than a minute Miss Rushman." JARVIS replied coolly.

"You're with the archer aren't you?" Pepper asks, things starting to click together.

"Don't insult me. I have nothing to do with that renegade fool." Natasha said icily. No doubt repayment for his last comment.

"Ouch, Nat." Clint said with fake hurt.

The elevator opened with a 'ping' and Stark hurdled through it, fully suited up except for the face plate which was still up. "Pepper! Let her go." Stark ordered.

"If you give me what I want." Natasha bartered, pushing the blade deeper into Pepper's throat to show she was being completely serious.

"Who are you?" Tony growled out.

"The question shouldn't be who, it should be what do I want?" Natasha looked at Pepper then back at Tony pointedly. "Unless you don't care that I slit Miss Potts throat."

"Don't you dare hurt her. What do you want?"

"All your designs from the last year."

"You're the elf's partner aren't you?" Stark asked. Clint wasn't sure whether he was buying time.

"I work alone."

"Right because Legolas shows up, attacks my tower, uploads a virus onto my network and kills my Russian scientist at the same time you become my PA. I assume while arrow happy was distracting me you were hacking into my systems looking for files and altering JARVIS?" Tony reasons.

Natasha shrugs. Stark might act the fool often but he still a genius. Clint frowned as Nat switched the comms off. She was still talking o Stark but he couldn't hear anything. He didn't know whether to interfere or not but after a few minutes she switched it back on again.

"What the hell Nat?" Clint asked in confusion and frustration. What the fuck was she telling Stark? Natasha of course didn't reply.

"Stop stalling Stark and get me what I want. I'm done waiting." Natasha was the shortest person in the room and yet she was controlling everything and was without a doubt the most dangerous person despite Stark being suited up.

"Fine. But first, tell me who you are so I can find you later." Stark threatened.

"It will make no difference. I won't tell you my name but I'm sure you can find it. You can call me the Black Widow."

Clint watched as Tony's eyes furrowed trying to think whether he knew the name then widening as it dawned on the man. Clint grinned, he felt the same way.

"You were trained in the Red Room and injected with serum similar to Captain America's." Stark breathed out, looking far more concerned about the situation now.

"That information is classified." Natasha's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing is classified when you're a genius."

"You're stalling again." Natasha digs the point of the blade into Pepper's neck to draw blood. The taller woman gasps in pain. "I'm not a patient person Stark."

"Then let's go to my workroom. You know that's where the information is kept."

"No thanks. I'd rather not deal with Protocol Disco Ball again." Natasha looked disgusted at uttering the words 'disco ball.'

"I'm not leaving you here with a knife against Pepper's throat. Either you come to the workshop with me or no deal."

"No deal?"

Clint can't see her whole face from her but he's pretty sure she raised a brow.

"You heard me Spidey."

Clint was surprised she didn't slit Pepper's throat straight away. But then with Pepper dead she had no leverage and Stark wouldn't hesitate to try and kill her. It seemed Stark was very aware of this fact and was using it to his advantage. "Don't leave the room Nat – you know it's a trap. I can't provide back up if I can't see you."

Natasha shrugged her left shoulder in annoyance. "I'm no fool Stark. I'm not bargaining with you. This is how it's going to go, you're going to walk your shiny metal philanthrobot ass down to the workshop and get me every Iron Man suit design from the last year. When, and only when I've confirmed the information is correct and the file has no virus to corrupt the information will I then let your precious CEO go."

"No. You know as well as I do Pepper is your only leverage. If you kill her now then there's nothing stopping me turning you inside out." Stark spit out.

"Who said anything about killing her?" Natasha asked softly. Clint knew this wasn't going to be good. Natasha slipped the knife into her waist band. Her other hand was holding Pepper's wrists behind her back. With a swift and effortlessly movement Natasha released Pepper's arms and then broke the CEO's left arm.

Pepper screamed in pain before gaining control and falling silent with a whimper. Stark stepped forward but Natasha held up a hand warning him to stop.

"I know a lot of ways to cause a lot of pain without killing someone and I can do a lot of them standing right here. Unless you want to find out my other methods I suggest you get a move on Stark." Natasha pulled Pepper's arms back behind her back. Pepper gasped in pain as her broken arm was jostled.

"Fine!" Stark conceded. "JARVIS tell me if the assassin moves even an inch."

"I don't need to move an inch to hurt her." Natasha warned. "But if it makes you feel better – JARVIS you can inform Stark of my movements."

"Yes Miss Rushman." JARVIS replied with his airy disembodied voice.

"You programmed JARVIS not to record your movements?" Tony asks with a glare.

"Get moving Stark." Natasha pulled her arm down, causing Pepper's broken arm to extend down. Clint winced at the sound of pain that came from Pepper.

Tony left with a hate filled glare at Natasha.

"What did you tell Stark when you killed the comms Nat?" Clint asked. He received no reply. "They know we're working together so you don't need to remain quiet. Just tell me." Clint received no reply and he growled in frustration. "Fucking hell Natasha, this is bullshit."

Natasha made no signs at all of hearing him.

But she wouldn't have been able to even if she wanted to.

The elevator pinged and separated pieces of an Iron Man suit came whirring into the room. They were hurtling towards both the women. Natasha fell into a defensive position and Pepper threw her arms out as best she could. The Iron Man suit latching onto her arms then legs. The final pieces latched onto her and encased the taller woman's body entirely in the red and gold suit.

Only a few seconds later Clint watched as a second Iron Man – no doubt Tony came smashing out of the window below the women then smashed through the window into the room with them. Natasha jumped back to shield herself from the raining glass. Stark clearly had no patient for the elevator.

Tony held up a repulsor, aiming it directly at Natasha's head. Pepper moved back, allowing Tony to take over but remained in the room. Tony didn't order her away, knowing Natasha's fighting skills were far superior to his own. Even in the Iron Man suit there was a high possibility Nat could take the man out. But against two suits it was an uneven match.

Clint was readying his grappling arrow. There was no way he was going to let her clash against two Iron Man suits on her own. Then she finally acknowledged him.

"We're done Barton." Natasha said coldly.

"What the fuck are you talking about Nat?"

"Manipulating you was a waste of time. You were only too easy. You're naïve and useless Barton." Natasha's tone was full of ice. "Just leave."

"Nat..." Clint had no idea what the hell just happened. It didn't make sense, why bother telling him now? It was stupid of her to try and chase him away right when she'd need back up. Clint frowned and then shook his head. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, he never was when it came to her but he's fairly certain she's trying to protect him. She didn't think he could fight either Stark or Pepper and would end up hurt or killed. But he'd done a lot in life that he didn't want to and this wasn't an exception. Natasha meant more to him than his morals and previous dreams of being a straight shooter. "No Tash. I won't leave you."

"Dammit Clint I-" The rest of Natasha's reply was cut short as Stark released a repulsor blast her.


	12. Chapter 12

Clint fired the grappling arrow through the broken window. The strong cable wrapped it's way around the steel window beam. Clint tugged on it to ensure it had caught properly. He shrugged his bow and quiver over his shoulder and then jumped. Clint was at almost the same height as the window so once he jumped he knew he'd have to smash through one of the lower windows or try to climb the cable. It wouldn't be a problem for him to climb up but if Tony or Pepper cut the cable then it was a long way down.

In the end, the decision was made for him. As he aimed himself at the window Iron Man broke earlier, the cable went slack. Someone had cut it. He hoped it wasn't Natasha that did it. He had enough momentum going that his course didn't alter. Clint tucked himself into a ball and flew through the window. Thankfully avoiding the jagged broken glass. He somersaulted then rolled straight up onto his feet.

The elevator would no doubt be locked down and he was sure Stark probably had the stairs locked down too. He clicked his tongue and looked around for a way up. His blue eyes landed on an air vent. Clint glanced around and found two cameras. He took them both out with an EMP arrow. Clint was hoping it might fry more than just the cameras.

Once he was sure the AI wasn't recording him and reporting his movements to Stark he pulled the grate off and chucked his bow and quiver in before heaving himself up easily with his bulky arms. He didn't bother replacing the vent, Stark already knew he was there.

Clint crawled his way through the vents, aiming upwards but finding himself lost multiply times. Stark Tower was excessively big and a pain in the ass to infiltrate. Clint swore as he found himself at another fucking dead end and had to back himself up to the last junction.

"Ask JARVIS." Natasha whispered to him through the comms.

"What? The butler?" Clint asked in confusion.

"No you idiot. The AI. I programmed it not to record us. Ask it nicely as JARVIS will give you directions." Natasha said hurriedly before a blast finished the conversation. Clint felt at sense of urgency.

"Uh...JARVIS? How do I get from here to Stark's personal floor?" Clint asked, glancing around.

"Take the left Mr Hawkeye." JARVIS responded through the comm. Clint was impressed with Natasha's hacking skills. He had very minimum skills. Such as he could break a computer to destroy some files.

Clint followed the directions of the AI until he finally made it to the right floor. Natasha was holding her own against Stark. Clint couldn't see Pepper from here but it at least looked like she wasn't aiding Stark which gave Nat a better chance. In fact it seemed like Iron Man was struggling to keep up against the Russian.

Natasha ducked a repulsor blast by sliding under it. She was running directly for Stark and slid the last few feet. She jumped up and grabbed Stark's iron clad hand. The repulsor lit up, preparing to blast Natasha in the face. Instead she twisted the hand around and Stark was hit with his own blast. Iron Man was propelled backwards and Nat let go quickly, using her feet to kick Stark further away as well as launch herself backwards. Natasha flipped in the air backwards so she didn't hit the ground and then landed perfectly on her feet.

Natasha didn't wait for Stark to recover. She grabbed all of the remaining knives from the block – a total of four. She threw the first two at Tony as he pulled himself out of a wall. Clint wasn't really sure what she was aiming for as both knives fell harmlessly to the ground after striking the suit.

Tony was of the same opinion as Clint. "Please, continue throwing knives at me Red. It's super effective."

As per usual, Natasha didn't bother gracing the man with a comment. Though Clint did catch her small smirk. Nat was planning something. He wasn't sure whether he should interfere or not. A repulsor beam came towards Natasha from the right and she was forced to drop to the ground to avoid it. Natasha was on all fours, pressed as low as possible to the floor. She quickly leapt back up and jumped over the kitchen counter to avoid the incoming blasts from both suits.

Clint prepared an exploding arrow and kicked out the vent. He'd fire the arrow before Tony or Pepper could register what had happened. The arrow exploded at Pepper's feet and blew her backwards. He couldn't allow himself to feel bad for picking on the weakest link.

"Need a hand Widow?" Clint asked with a rueful grin.

"Not from you I don't." Natasha scowled at him. Clint didn't know what she was trying to purvey to him. Her facial expression and body language went further than a scowl. Clint stared at her intensely trying to figure it out. Within seconds any expression was wiped out and she was an emotionless doll again. Of course, Clint realised then. To her, emotions were weakness, friendship and love was for children and all of it was a distraction. And, in an enemy situation they could be used against each other.

Clint made no signs of acknowledging her quiet order but shut down his expressions the best he could. If that's how she wanted to play it then fine. They'd act their parts – to Stark they'd seem like nothing more than a pair of assassins working together due to no choice of their own. They couldn't care less about each other – all that mattered was getting the job done. It should be easier enough for both of them given they'd both worked alone for most of their lives. Not only worked alone, just being alone in general.

"So Spy Kids, what now?" Stark asked casually. Surprisingly casual considering Clint just blasted Pepper halfway down a hallway. Unless it wasn't Pepper. Clint flicked his eyes down the hallway as the suit – now blue and orange came striding up the hallway.

"Mark XXVII, it's a chameleon suit. That's what caught me off guard during Blackout." Natasha explained.

"Something catching you off guard? You're slipping." Clint said callously. He'd give her what she wanted. But taking a cruel tone towards her was harder than he'd expected.

"If you don't watch it you'll find yourself slipping off the top of this ugly building." Natasha shot back, her tone proud. But Clint thinks the proud tone is because of his acting not her statement.

"Only you won't because you need me." Clint retaliated with.

"Hey! Legolas and Gimli can we focus?" Stark asked. Clint snorted.

"Are you insinuating I'm a dwarf?" Natasha asked coldly.

"If the shoe fits." Stark returned with at the same Clint muttered, "it's not insinuation just the cold hard truth." Stark snorted this time.

"Just get the job done Hawkeye. I'll deal with you after this." Natasha snapped icily.

Clint rolled his eyes and passed the fiery red head a gun he'd brought for her. Natasha took it with a quiet gratefulness.

The two trained killers trained their weapons on Stark. The whirring sound of metal hit their ears. Mark XXVII stood in the doorway – arm outstretched and repulsor glowing.

"JARVIS activate Bones." Tony ordered. "Last chance wonder twins."

"No deal." Natasha responded, echoing Tony's earlier spoken words.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Stark said, shrugging the Iron Man suit.

Clint was sure Pepper was long gone which made his guilt ease somewhat. He still didn't want to kill Stark but if it came down between Nat and Stark then his choice would be easy. Even if he'd have to live the gut rotting guilt for the rest of his life – how ever short or long that may be.

The whirring sound of another suit came from the smashed window. Both Natasha and him looked at the window as a slimmer suit came flying through. It was made of thinner plating and the internal contents were exposed, primarily the plates were black with the internal contents silver, gold plates held the joins together. Overall it's appearance was skeletal.

Clint had a feeling it was designed for manoeuvrability and speed. Making it the perfect weapon against Natasha. She'd been close to taking Stark down because she was far fast than him in the heavy suit.

Clint glanced between the two AI controlled suits and Tony's suit. There was no way they were getting out of this alive. But Clint supposes at least Iron Man thought highly enough of their skills that he'd need three suits to take them out. If he survived this, he'd probably always feel rather proud of that fact. His thoughts were torn to shreds when the suit named 'Bones' separated itself and began speeding towards both of them way faster than Clint had anticipated.

The assassins scattered to avoid the flying chunks of metal. Natasha skidded to a halt on the other side of the kitchen. Her back up against the marble counter. At the last second she jumped backwards and landed on the counter in a crouch. The hand section of 'Bones' slammed into the counter and shattered the cupboard door. Clint raised a brow at her cat like reflexes. But he didn't have time to pay any more attention to it as he ducked a metal foot then jumped up to avoid the second foot. The last hand he couldn't avoid as he was still in the air.

It struck him in the chest and Clint spun mid air then hit the ground. All the air in his lungs was expelled and left him breathless. The sound of splintered wood came from further in the kitchen and Natasha sprinted past him, avoiding a flying metal head.

"Get up Barton." Natasha snapped at him as she rushed past.

Clint coughed and tried to regain his breath but he didn't have time to properly recover. He readied an arrow and shot it at the head that was in pursuit of Natasha. The EMP arrow struck it and released the electrical pulse. The metal head faltered and fell out of the air.

The suit pieces flew towards each other and reattached. Including the head. Clint glowered, he'd hope the EMP arrow would be enough to mess the suit up.

Natasha ignored 'Bones' and headed for Stark. Then he realised there were three suits two minutes ago. Now there was only Bones and Stark's suit. Where was Mark XXVII?

His silent question was answered as Natasha hid a solid invisible barrier and was hurtled through the air. A repulsor beam from the Chameleon suit followed after her. Clint knew he didn't have enough time to pull her to safety and could only watch as Natasha was mere seconds away from being blasted by the repulsor.

Natasha however wasn't going to go down to easy. She manoeuvred her body mid air and avoid the beam. A second was shot by Stark and third followed by Bones. Natasha hit the wall but in a way that she was crouching against it before propelling herself forwards. Both blue beams struck the wall and missed her.

Clint fired another EMP arrow where the Chameleon suit was. It pierced the metal suit and the pulse shocked the suit back into being visible. The only thing it really gained him other than full visibility was all three suits attention.

Mark XXVII started towards him along with Stark. Bones returned it's attention to Natasha. Clint was surprised Stark hadn't been more focused on him given it was Clint who killed Anton – Stark's self proclaimed Russian Scientist.

Clint learnt very quickly that hand to hand combat with a metal suit was painful and his current least favourite thing. Russia had slipped into second place.

He threw up his arm to block a blow to the head. Clint's arm shook with the force and he grunted in pain. The suit's hand then moved and clamped onto Clint's arm. The pressure was outstanding and Clint was sure he felt his wrist crack. If he lost the use of his hands he'd never be able to fire an arrow. Clint's life would be over. His eyes narrowed and Clint grabbed the metal arm with his free hand. The Chameleon's hand didn't budge and Stark rounded on him from Clint's unprotected back.

The pressure was getting worse and Clint knew his arm would be crushed soon. He applied as much weight as possible into his free hand which was grasped around the metal arm and lifted himself up. Clint kicked his legs out and into the chest of the suit. It staggered enough that the hand released the grip on his arm. Clint fell to the ground and he rolled away from both suits before quickly scrambling to his feet. His grace was no where near as eloquent as Nat's.

Clint eyed the two suits. They needed to take down at least one of the AI controlled suits to even the playing field otherwise they had no chance.


End file.
